Netflix Is Making Stranger Things Versions of Classic '80s Movie Posters, and They're Amazing

If you weren't already aware, Netflix's acclaimed paranormal series Stranger Things returns Oct. 27 for another trip to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer told Rolling Stone that their pitch for a retro show starring four young kids (at least one of whom might just be more than she seems) was "rejected 15 to 20 times by various networks," but the surprise sleeper hit of 2016 was so popular that the streaming giant has already greenlit a third season. Netflix is pulling out all the stops on social media in the weeks leading up to Season 2. Last month, the show's official Twitter account began giving fans more of what they want by launching a weekly recap of each episode of the first season under the hashtag #StrangerThursdays, and tying each episode to a classic '80s film. Even more impressive, the art team at the show has paid homage to each film's original poster art while placing the Stranger Things cast members in its universe. The tweets also include copy referencing the movies that inspired them. The first was 1986's Stand By Me. [kickout id="1"] Next came A Nightmare in Hawkins, an obvious tribute to Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street from 1984. [kickout id="2"] Schwarzenegger fans will recognize this recreation of 1987's The Running Man. [kickout id="3"] The original Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, was released in 1979. Close enough to the '80s. [kickout id="4"] Firestarter, which furthered Drew Barrymore's career in 1984 after her appearance in E.T., was the third film in this series (after Stand By Me and The Running Man) based on a Stephen King book. [kickout id="5"] Everyone's favorite mock horror flick, 1981's The Evil Dead, also makes an appearance. [kickout id="6"] The latest effort, released this morning, recreates what may be history's best-known movie poster: Jaws. The Spielberg classic dates from 1975, so it appears that anything goes at this point. [kickout id="8"] In what would appear to be the final promo in this series, the team turned to one of the series' most obvious inspirations, 1985's The Goonies. [kickout id="9"] It's the attention to detail that really makes these faux posters stand out. From the taglines to the fonts, these are faithful tributes to films that have long served as touchpoints for the very sort of viewers who would obsess over Stranger Things. This retro effect is very much in keeping with past efforts to promote a series jam-packed with references to the movies honored in this campaign, as well as period classics like E.T., The Goonies and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Netflix works with a variety of agencies to promote its original series, but this effort appears to have been created by its in-house marketing team. The company has not responded to requests for more information on the work.

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Netflix Is Making Stranger Things Versions of Classic '80s Movie Posters, and They're Amazing

From Stand by Me to The Evil Dead

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