Per Broadway World, The First Shadow has grossed over $4 million since it opened for previews at the end of March, averaging over $1 million per week in the last two weeks of April. (Returns for the London version aren’t publicly available, but the show has been running for a year-and-a-half in the West End.) That’s on par with some of the bigger shows of the current season, including Death Becomes Her and Gypsy.
The First Shadow has also earned Netflix its first-ever Tony nominations. Louis McCartney—who originated the role of Henry Creel in London and crossed the pond to Broadway—is up for Best Actor, and the show picked up four additional nods in the technical categories, including costume design and lighting design.
Netflix has yet to announce whether The First Shadow will morph into a touring production once the Broadway run wraps up—or if the show has been filmed for a streaming premiere. Simon says that, as with all things Stranger Things, fan enthusiasm will ultimately determine its afterlife.
“We look at reviews. We look at guest satisfaction. Whether people are buying tickets is another metric we use to gauge whether it’s resonating,” Simon said.
Those metrics apply to platforms beyond Broadway. Stranger Things is a key player in Netflix’s live event portfolio, with an immersive experience and pop-up stores that are currently touring the world, as well as a presence at the Netflix Bites dining experience. And, of course, there are consumer products galore, a number of which are on sale at The First Shadow gift shop.
All of this is in service of making Stranger Things an omnipresent media brand. So far, viewers are following the series wherever it goes. “We’ve seen no dip in fan passion for Stranger Things between the seasons of the show,” Simon notes.
