Instead, the details of Henry’s pre-Vecna existence built the bones for The First Shadow, which premiered in London in 2023 before making the trip to Broadway. Besides Henry, the show features teenage versions of the show’s core adult cast, including David Harbour’s Hopper and Winona Ryder’s Joyce. Trefry also resurrects Bob Newby—Season 2’s dearly departed Radio Shack tech wiz played by Sean Astin—and introduces his previously unmentioned adopted sister Patty, who forms an unlikely bond with Henry.
Interestingly, The First Shadow suggests that Patty may still be alive and living somewhere in Nevada in the 1980s—a state that some of the Stranger Things teens visited in Season 4. Asked directly whether this new character will factor into the show’s endgame, Trefry artfully dodges the question.
“There are definitely Easter eggs, but it’s more about having an intimate understanding of some of these big characters,” she says carefully. “You understand them in a totally different way.”
“It was tricky to make this story feel integral to both past seasons and a future one,” Trefry adds. “I couldn’t introduce anything in the play that would compromise the experience of watching Season 5.”
Return on investment
Broadway shows are already pricey propositions, and a super-sized Mind Flayer doesn’t come cheap. Neither does an opening scene involving a U.S. Navy ship running aground in dimensions unknown.
Simon declines to reveal the exact budget for the Broadway version of The First Shadow—a more effects-intensive production than the London iteration—but indicates that Netflix is well aware that maintaining the creative vision of the Stranger Things brand comes with a cost.
“Our vision was to deliver a caliber of production value, spectacle, and storytelling that are synonymous with what the Stranger Things series is known for,” Simon remarks. “We want to make sure fans love it—and if they do, the financial piece works itself out.”
