{"id":884989,"date":"2026-01-14T08:19:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/frank-darabont-on-coming-out-of-retirement-for-stranger-things-5-it-was-a-hell-of-a-great-experience\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T08:19:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T14:19:27","slug":"frank-darabont-on-coming-out-of-retirement-for-stranger-things-5-it-was-a-hell-of-a-great-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/14\/frank-darabont-on-coming-out-of-retirement-for-stranger-things-5-it-was-a-hell-of-a-great-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Frank Darabont on Coming Out of Retirement for \u2018Stranger Things 5\u2019: \u2018It Was a Hell of a Great Experience\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tFrank Darabont<\/a> was still new to retirement when Netlix released the first season of \u201cStranger Things<\/a>\u201d in 2016. He had wrapped his final directing gig \u2014 the 2013 \u201cMob City\u201d episode \u201cRed Light\u201d\u2014 and moved with his wife to California\u2019s Central Coast, where he could bask in the wake of an incredible filmography that included \u201cThe Shawshank Redemption,\u201d \u201cThe Green Mile,\u201d \u201cThe Mist,\u201d episodes of \u201cThe Walking Dead,\u201d \u201cThe Shield,\u201d \u201cTales from the Crypt\u201d and more.<\/p>\n

\n\tAbout a decade into retirement, however, Darabont received a call from his agent, informing him that Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of \u201cStranger Things,\u201d were fans of his work. The feeling was mutual, as Darabont and his wife had binged the Netflix series\u2019 first four seasons several times over. The agents set up a friendly meeting between them when the Duffers were still developing the show\u2019s fifth and final season.<\/p>\n

\n\tShortly thereafter, Dan Trachtenberg, who was attached to direct two episodes of \u201cStranger Things 5<\/a>,\u201d dropped out due to a scheduling conflict with his next film, \u201cPredator: Badlands.\u201d In a Hail Mary, the Duffers offered Darabont to take Trachtenberg\u2019s place, and after a week\u2019s consideration, he decided to come out of retirement to join the \u201cStranger Things\u201d team on set.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tPopular on Variety\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tWinona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers <\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tDarabont, 66, directed Episodes 3 and 5 of the final season. Episode 3 released in with Volume 1 on Nov. 26. Titled \u201cThe Turnbow Trap,\u201d the episode is packed with action and emotion in the Upside Down and the Rightside Up, showcasing a triumphant return for the director. Episode 5, titled \u201cShock Jock,\u201d will kick off the three-episode second volume on Dec. 25. (The \u201cStranger Things\u201d series finale releases in theaters and on Netflix Dec. 31.)<\/p>\n

\n\tBetween the volumes, Variety<\/em> spoke with the director to hear about his experience working on \u201cStranger Things\u201d and his return to the filmmaking craft after twelve years since he last sat in the director\u2019s chair.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tWe heard that you were a fan of \u201cStranger Things\u201d before you met the Duffer brothers. How did you get into the show?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tMy wife and I were fans of the show from early on. We actually had watched all four seasons three or four or maybe even five times. It was so good. Then one day out of the blue, my agent called me and said, \u201cThe agent in the office next to me represents the Duffer brothers<\/a>, and he just wanted me to tell you that they\u2019re big fans of yours.\u201d I said, \u201cThat\u2019s fantastic. That\u2019s very flattering. I\u2019m big fans of theirs.\u201d So I thought, \u201cWell, next time I\u2019m in L.A., I\u2019ll get together with them for lunch and just compliment them.\u201d I also was fascinated to know where the heck they came from, because I never heard of the Duffer brothers before they created this huge success on Netflix. So I had lunch with them when I was down in L.A. and I think about a week later, my agent called me again and said they\u2019re inviting you to come direct an episode.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tAnd what was your initial reaction to that?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tI hadn\u2019t done it in a while, but they said it\u2019s like riding a bicycle: You don\u2019t forget. And they were right. From the first moment on set, there was nothing unfamiliar about the process for me, though it had been about 13 years. The one episode offer wound up being two episodes and six months in Atlanta. It was a hell of a great experience.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tThe Duffer brothers told us that you took about a week to consider the offer. What was going through your mind during that week and what made you want to accept?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tWell, once you\u2019re retired, it\u2019s bliss. My wife and I live on the Central Coast in Monterey, where we don\u2019t have the pressures of Hollywood on our back. I\u2019m enjoying life, and for once I\u2019m no longer the workaholic that I was for almost 30 years in Hollywood. So I had to wrestle with that question and, of course, talk to my wife about it, because I wasn\u2019t going to go to Atlanta unless she came also. I love being married, and I\u2019m not going to be in some place for months without her. We also have five chihuahuas that we would have to take. It was kind of a big move, especially once it became two episodes. We were looking at six months living in a different place. When you\u2019re young and single, it\u2019s not that big of a deal, but when you\u2019re an old fart like me who has sunk roots in a community and is comfortable being an unemployed bum, you have to ask yourself \u201cDo I really do this?\u201d But ultimately, it was my love for the show and my wife\u2019s love for the show that kind of overruled all those other concerns and we said, \u201cWhat the heck? Let\u2019s do it!\u201d I\u2019m glad we did.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tNatalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers <\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\tWhile you were considering, were you allowed to read the scripts for the episodes that you would direct?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tYeah, they had sent me the scripts and I thought they were terrific. I asked for all of the scripts that they had written thus far so I could track what was going on in the whole thing. They were very generous with sending me those, as long as it was kept under strict secrecy. They\u2019re not quite the nuclear codes, but they\u2019re pretty close. The fascinating thing about our culture is how much people want to dig into this stuff instead of wait to be surprised by what they see on screen. I am the ultimate no-spoilers guy. When I was in junior high, I went to go see \u201cSoylent Green\u201d and some asshole fellow students told me before I went in, \u201cOh, Soylent Green is people.\u201d I\u2019ve never forgiven them. It\u2019s part of the reason why I\u2019m not on social media and I\u2019m also reluctant to watch trailers. Too much is given away. If I have an interest in something, I want to enjoy it fresh.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tDid you notice anything different in the process of filmmaking returning to the director\u2019s chair after 12 or 13 years?\t<\/h5>\n
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\n\tOh gosh, yeah. Only on \u201cMob City\u201d did I finally transition from film to digital, and I ended up loving it. It helps a director so much because you don\u2019t ever have to call a cut. Whenever a director calls cut, the energy on a set dissipates. Now you can just say, \u201cEverybody back to one\u201d and the energy remains where it needs to be. The actors remain in the same headspace as you roll three or four takes before calling cut. I love that aspect of it. Filmmakers have so many new tools now. [On \u201cStranger Things\u201d] our DP was shooting with a techno crane, which can sometimes be frustrating, but can do brilliant things. Also the camera operator is no longer where you\u2019d think he is. He\u2019s not by the camera anymore, but often in some tent off to the side. Same with whoever\u2019s pulling focus. They\u2019re longer next to the camera all the time. So much has been outsourced to these technological devices. <\/p>\n

But I have to praise this crew. They were absolutely wonderful across the board. A director\u2019s relationship with their crew is very important to me, especially the DP and AD, and I had great on both. Brett Jutkiewicz was my DP and Lisa Rowe was my AD, and they were both fantastic. The Duffers know how to crew up a show, and some of these folks had been with them since Season 1. There were so many resources all around me that could help answer any question. It was a great, collaborative vibe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\tEpisode 3 has lots of emotional scenes, including heavy dialogues between Will (Noah Schnapp) and Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will and Robin (Maya Hawke) and Holly (Nell Fisher) and Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower). What was it like working with this ensemble to create those dramatic dynamics?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tI\u2019ve always said that if you have the right actor, there\u2019s not much that they need to hear from a director. I learned that on my very first theatrical feature, \u201cThe Shawshank Redemption.\u201d Sometimes a director can get too much into an actor\u2019s ear. Tim Robbins, for example, loves conversations with the director. Morgan Freeman does not. He\u2019s a very intuitive, very instinctive actor, and does a brilliant work. Both of them do. I remember midway through the shoot, I was talking to Morgan about whatever scene we\u2019re going to shoot next and I could see his eyes glazing over. He was just being very polite and listening to me, so I stopped myself and said, \u201cMorgan, you really don\u2019t need to hear this, do you?\u201d and he goes \u201cNo, just tell me where to stand and how to turn. That kind of stuff.\u201d From that moment on, I let him do his job. It was a great lesson for a first-time director. Every actor is different.<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Netflix<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\t\tDid the cast of \u201cStranger Things\u201d prefer more dialogue and direction, or did most of them take control of their own performances? Or was there a mix?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tThey\u2019d been doing it for so long, especially the youngsters who were around 10 when they started and now they\u2019re young adults. They\u2019ve been with these characters for half of their lives, so they\u2019re pretty dialed in. There were little, physical things that needed direction, like when Dustin [Gaten Matarazzo] comes out of the van and drops this big bag of tools right in front of the lens. To have it fall exactly where the camera is going to land took a lot of practice and blocking. I think there were five takes or something. There were also things like Caleb [McLaughlin] running down the stairs after he\u2019s thrown acetone at the Demogorgon. I needed him to pause and look back at a certain moment because I knew something was going to be added in post that needed an extra beat of time. You\u2019re sort of doing all this calculus on set to make sure it can be cut together right. That\u2019s usually where I get more specific and precise with an actor, but aside from that, they know their characters. As a director, my job is to provide the raw materials for what you need in the editing room and also to be head cheerleader on set. You\u2019re cheering everybody on and encouraging them. A small bit of encouragement or recognition from the director can fuel you for another 24 hours of exhausting work<\/p>\n

\n\t\tHas this experience made you want to direct more, or are you comfortable returning to retirement?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tI really do love being retired. However, I also love being on a set with creative people, as long as I\u2019m not fighting battles with some evil empire, studio, or network. I bless Netflix for being so supportive. If you have a good situation like that and it can be about the creative process, then its a pleasure. So my longwinded answer winds up being, it depends. If there\u2019s a friendly situation and I\u2019m excited enough about the material, then it\u2019s certainly a possibility. I\u2019m not ruling anything out, but it would have to be something special. \u201cStranger Things\u201d was a special opportunity for me to be a small part of a very large, wonderful thing that so many people love. I\u2019m grateful to the Duffers for that opportunity. It will always be a great memory working with them and that cast and crew. I will love seeing where their careers take them. They all have such potential and they\u2019re such good people.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tI know you don\u2019t like spoilers, but what can we look forward to in Episode 5?\t<\/h5>\n

\n\tI think in Episode 5 you\u2019re gonna get some really cool stuff with Henry. I don\u2019t think I\u2019m really spoiling anything by saying that you can you see in Episode 3 that we\u2019re kind of heading into his story more. It was a great thrill to do. We have a lot of good acting and good scenes that you can look forward to.<\/p>\n

\n\tThis interview has been edited and condensed.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Andrew McGowan
Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Frank Darabont was still new to retirement when Netlix released the first season of \u201cStranger Things\u201d in 2016. He had wrapped his final directing gig \u2014 the 2013 \u201cMob City\u201d episode \u201cRed Light\u201d\u2014 and moved with his wife to California\u2019s Central Coast, where he could bask in the wake of an incredible filmography that included<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":884990,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147439,1259],"tags":[147438,12576],"class_list":{"0":"post-884989","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-darabont","8":"category-frank","9":"tag-darabont","10":"tag-frank"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884989","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=884989"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/884989\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/884990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=884989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=884989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=884989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}