The story behind Netflix’sStranger Thingsis as fractured and fantastical as the adventure at its centre of attention . You may have heard how a dozen television meshwork decline 32 - year - old Gemini Matt and Ross Duffer ’s pitch created before the streaming help lastly state yes . But did you knowStranger Thingsis based on a true ( look on who you ask ) story ? Or that some ofthe cast memberscan sing like they ’re on Broadway because theywereon Broadway ? You may cognize what happened to Barb , but what about Barb ’s day job ? We know you call for the answer , so read on , and discover the the true behind this summertime ’s stream ace :

The series was originally set in New York

Netflix firstannouncedthe Duffers ' series asMontauk , a extrasensory drama set in the title Long Island township . This was a reference to one ofStranger Things ' real - animation inspirations : the Camp Hero experiments , conducted from the 1960s to the 1980s ( more on that in a bit ) .

The Duffer brothers didn’t want to change the title, despite moving the show to Indiana

Even in the final stage , the Duffers internally concern to the show asMontauk . It wasn’tuntilthe absolute last moment that they subside onStranger thing .

There were alternate titles, but we’ll never hear them

The creative staff made a list of alternate 1980s titles before settling onStranger Things , and that list is still in existence . Unfortunately , Matt Dufferthinks they ’re horrific , so we ’ll never see them : " I hope this never , ever comes out on the internet – the leaning of alternating titles for the show . I was like : if you leak out this , I will defeat you . It is so embarrassing . "

Eleven was originally aJean Grey-like badass right from the beginning

Inearly draftsof theStranger Thingspilot , Eleven used her telekinetic powers to escape the adeptness . rather , the Duffer brothers settle to bait out how sinewy Eleven actually was and go away the escape from the installation to the viewer ’s resource .

There may have been real-life Elevens

Conspiracy theorists conceive that the " laboratory " at the aforesaid Camp Hero was used for " The Montauk Project , " a stage set of orphic experimentation on children thattried to tap into their psychokinetic abilities . Often these subjects were stolen from their families , just like Eleven . Also adapted to the serial are rumors that scientist wanted to apply the psychical minor to spy on other world powers . InStranger matter , it ’s the Russians . In the Camp Hero confederacy … it ’s aliens …

The monster is supposedly real, too

The experimentation at Camp Hero obviously came to an destruction in 1983 when one of the subject , Duncan Cameron , created a Bigfoot - similar monster using his psychical powers . The monster lead to the last of the experiments at Camp Hero and the below - ground inquiry site was filled with cementum .

The crew imagined theStranger Thingsmonster as an evil Pixar character

People working behind the scenes dubbed the Upside Down monster " Petals " because of the style its school principal flaps open like a blossom bud . petal was partially a hardheaded animatronic force , and wasintroduced to the youthful shake off membersas a colossus from Pixar’sMonsters , Inc. so they would n’t be afraid of it .

And the Duffers citedMad Max: Fury Roadto convince Eleven to shave her head

When theStranger Thingsduo pitched the estimation of a close - bald look for Eleven , actress Millie Bobby Brown and her parent were terrified . A clip picture of Charlize Theron inMad Maxeventuallyconvincedher it was " badass " thought .

An explanation for “the Upside Down” totally exists

The Duffer brothers have a30 - page written document about " the Upside Down,“and we did n’t even get hint at everything that ’s in it . consort to Ross Duffer , " If there was going to be a time of year 2 , we would reveal more of that 30 - page papers , but we ’d still want to keep it from the point of thought of our original characters . "

The Duffers say the Upside Down is bad for human health

Living in the Upside Down for a week is run to have long - lasting negative effects on Will . At the remainder of the first season we can see Will inadvertently flash into the Upside Down , but humans from " our side"were never meant to last in the Upside Down for an extended point of sentence . " That ’s a place we wanted to go and potentiallyexplore in Season 2 . What essence does living in there for a week have on him ? "

The oldest pop-culture reference inStranger Thingsis from 1818

Stranger Thingsis paries - to - wall ' 80s nostalgia , but internet detectives avow this bit of Eleven ’s story is a classic literary allusion .

There’s aTalking Dead-style after show on YouTube

The " AfterBuzz " meshing , which does wrapper - up and recapitulation programming for other popular television shows , was conscript by Netflix to produceStranger Thingsafter shew for your splurge . Although , who hold on bingingStranger Thingsto react with net strangers ? Well , it ’s an alternative .

Even the people who killed off Barb are obsessed with Barb

grant to Ross Duffer , the internet ’s fascination with the geeky teen female child get down in theStranger Thingsoffices . " We were always talking about Barb and ' what about Barb ' and ' poor Barb ' – we talked about it in the writer elbow room almost every daylight . So it ’s nifty to see that mass responded in that way . It ’s so weird that people are using the idiomatic expression that we used in the way like a year ago . I retrieve part of it is that usually in these horror motion-picture show , it ’s these very democratic girl who take their top off who get taken . And so there ’s something particularly tragical about the loner character getting snatch and not making it out of the Upside Down . "

Season 2 will address Barb’s unceremonious demise

The Duffers loved Barb , but still were n’t prepared for her popularity . They’ve promisedthat next season , we will read how the town comes to grip with her death ( which was , early on , go to besupergory ) . " We ’ll ensure there ’s some justice for Barb , " said Matt Duffer . " citizenry get very disappointed , understandably , that the township does n’t seem to be really dealing with Barb . That clobber is all fall out . We ’re just not spending any screen time on it . "

The real-life Barb is looking for employment

First - time actress Shannon Purser hadto quit her job go at a Georgia motion picture theaterrecently because the great unwashed were coming to gawk . While she loved the attention and friendly fans , the intrusion ended up being a small inappropriate for theater employment . Someone hire Barb , please !

Eleven and Dustin can sing

Speaking of the player , Gaten Matarazzo , who act Dustin , has appeared on Broadway with productions ofPriscilla Queen of the DesertandLes Misérables . Hanging out with Gaten on circle , Millie Bobby Brownwas already an amateur singer . The child player hold fast on set by singing and harmonise between takes .

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