Netflix has quietly canceled the next planned show from Stranger Things creators Ross and Matt Duffer, even as their hit series closes with record-breaking success.
The Duffer Brothers were developing a TV adaptation of “The Talisman,” a popular novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub. The project was first announced in 2021 but never moved forward. The series has now been dropped by Netflix after years of development delays.
Ross Duffer confirmed the cancellation in an interview with CBR, saying the project is no longer at Netflix and that the brothers are no longer involved. He explained that The Talisman has been stuck in development for many years, even before they joined the project.
Matt Duffer also acknowledged the challenge, saying they may have underestimated how difficult it would be to adapt the story.
The cancellation comes as Stranger Things Season 5 delivers historic results. The final season debuted with nearly 60 million views in its first five days, setting a new record for Netflix’s biggest English-language premiere week. It surpassed the previous record set by Stranger Things Season 4 in 2022.
Despite this success, the Duffer Brothers are preparing to leave Netflix. They are scheduled to join Paramount in April 2026, where they plan to develop new projects under a fresh deal.
In a previous statement, the brothers said they are excited to work with Paramount and to reunite with executives who supported them early in their careers. They described the move as a major milestone and a chance to create new stories at a studio with a long Hollywood history.
With Stranger Things ending and The Talisman canceled, the Duffer Brothers are now set to begin a new chapter outside Netflix after nearly a decade at the streaming giant.
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