Netflix Cancels Duffer Brothers’ Next Project After Stranger Things Finale

Netflix has quietly canceled the Duffer Brothers’ next major project, shelving their long-planned adaptation of The Talisman shortly after the controversial Stranger Things finale wrapped up the company’s flagship series.

The project, which had been announced as part of Matt and Ross Duffer’s overall Netflix deal, is no longer moving forward at the streamer. According to the brothers themselves, Netflix no longer holds the rights to the Stephen King and Peter Straub novel, effectively ending their involvement.

What Happened to the Duffer Brothers’ Netflix Deal?

In 2022, the Duffer Brothers signed a high-profile overall deal with Netflix following the global success of Stranger Things. At the time, Netflix announced an ambitious slate of projects tied to the creators, including:

• Two Stranger Things spin-offs (one animated, one live-action)
• A Stranger Things stage play
• A television adaptation of The Talisman

While the spin-offs and stage production remain in development or have already materialized, The Talisman has now fallen off the slate entirely.

Noah Schnapp as Will Beyers in Stranger Things 5 – Netflix

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The fantasy novel, co-written by Stephen King and the late Peter Straub, was set to be produced by Steven Spielberg and Amblin Partners, making it one of the more prestigious projects attached to the deal.

The Duffers Confirm The Talisman Is No Longer at Netflix

In a recent interview with Comic Book Resources, the Duffer Brothers confirmed that the project is no longer moving forward at Netflix.

Ross Duffer stated that The Talisman “is no longer at Netflix,” adding that the brothers are “not involved” with the adaptation anymore. Matt Duffer echoed the sentiment, acknowledging that it was “probably naïve” to believe they could overcome what he described as the long-standing “Talisman curse.”

Vecna confronts Will in Stranger Things 5 – Netflix

Those remarks confirm that Netflix no longer controls the rights to the property, ending any chance of the series continuing under the streamer’s banner.

A Project Hollywood Has Failed to Crack for Decades

The cancellation adds The Talisman to a long list of failed attempts to adapt the novel for the screen.

Steven Spielberg being interviewed – YouTube, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

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Spielberg’s Amblin acquired the rights to the book before it was even published in 1984. Since then, multiple adaptations have been announced and scrapped, including a TNT miniseries and a feature film planned in 2019. None ever made it into production.

Matt Duffer’s reference to the “Talisman curse” reflects that history. Despite the Duffers’ success with Stranger Things—a series often compared to the novel due to its parallel-world mythology—the project ultimately met the same fate as its predecessors.

The Timing After the Stranger Things Finale Raises Questions

While Netflix has not publicly linked the decision to the reception of the Stranger Things finale, the timing is difficult to ignore.

Review scores for Stranger Things Season 5 on December 29, 2025 – Rotten Tomatoes

The final episodes of the series sparked widespread debate and backlash, particularly over creative choices that divided longtime fans. Audience scores dipped compared to earlier seasons, and discussion around the ending dominated entertainment coverage in the weeks following the finale’s release.

To be clear, there is no confirmation that the cancellation of The Talisman is a direct response to that backlash. However, the shelving of a high-profile Duffer Brothers project so soon after Netflix closed the book on its most valuable original series has fueled speculation about the streamer reassessing its creative partnerships.

What Comes Next for the Duffer Brothers

Notably, the Duffer Brothers are not without options. Their overall deal with Netflix is not their only iron in the fire, and the pair are set to begin a new deal with Paramount starting later this year.

Stranger Things Creators The Duffers speaking to Jimmy Fallon – YouTube, The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon

Whether The Talisman resurfaces elsewhere remains to be seen. Given Spielberg’s long-standing attachment to the property, the rights could eventually land at another studio or streamer—but it will not be Netflix bringing Jack Sawyer’s journey to the screen.

For now, the cancellation stands as a rare but notable retreat by Netflix from a creator partnership once positioned as a cornerstone of its future content strategy.

Will you catch the Duffer Brothers’ next project, wherever that might be? Sound off in the and let us know!

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