The Duffer Brothers Love Stephen King’s IT, Which Should Inspire The Stranger Things Finale

From the focus on young characters to the creepy small town setting, not to mention the eerie villain at the center of it all, Stranger Things and Stephen King’s body of work have a lot in common. Although Hawkins is set in Indiana and not Maine, where King sets all of his novels, it feels like a place where King’s characters could come across monsters and supernatural beings. It’s no wonder that the Duffer Brothers are huge fans of King and have talked about him in numerous interviews.

The Duffer Brothers recently shared that Stranger Things season 5 will come out in 2025. But while fans want to hear news about the upcoming final season, it’s also fun to hear about their inspiration for the hit Netflix series. In 2016, Matt and Ross Duffer shared their love for one Stephen King book, and I think it could serve as a great foundation for Stranger Things season 5.

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Stranger Things Season 5 Should Follow The Trauma Of Stephen King’s IT

In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Duffer Brothers answered a question about a “formative” King book. Ross Duffer said:

In Stephen King’s IT, which was adapted into two movies IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two, the main characters have tragic childhoods and aren’t treated the way they should be. They find comfort and a safe place to land with each other, but when they’re pursued by Pennywise the Dancing Clown, their lives spiral out of control even more.

I think Stranger Things season 5 can borrow this element from IT. I want the last season of the hit Netflix show to explore the trauma that Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and her friends feel from spending time in the Upside Down. The series finale could feature a flash-forward of the characters going to therapy and working through this time in their lives.

The characters have been through so much, from Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) getting stuck in the Upside Down in Stranger Things season 1 to Eleven’s time at Hawkins Lab. While I want a happy ending, I don’t think it makes sense for the characters to go on their merry way without diving into the challenges they’ve faced. I think IT: Chapter One and IT: Chapter Two are smart Stephen King adaptations because the characters have to confront the hard times they had as children and teenagers. It’s interesting to see The Losers Club all grown up. I think even a brief flash forward showing Eleven and her friends as adults who have worked through their trauma would feel logical. It would also allow the show to come full circle.

What Do Stranger Things And Stephen King’s IT Have In Common?

Stranger Things and IT definitely have several things in common. The terrible villain Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is just as terrifying and haunting as Pennywise. The story follows a group of friends who are called The Party, just like The Losers Club in Derry, Maine.

Stranger Things and IT also blend adventure, friendship, family problems, small-town life, and a horrifying monster. There’s so much to appreciate about both Stranger Things and King’s numerous well-crafted books. It’s no wonder there will be a prequel series IT: Welcome to Derry, which will explore even more of this scary and fascinating world.

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