Timeline

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (or simply E.T.) is a 1982 American science fantasy film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial that he names E.T. who has been stranded on Earth. Along with his friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. find his way home. The film stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore.

Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City. It also stars Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis, and features Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, and William Atherton in supporting roles. Based on his fascination with spirituality, Aykroyd conceived Ghostbusters as a project starring himself and John Belushi, in which they would venture through time and space battling supernatural threats.

"Running Up That Hill" (also titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)") is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush from her fifth studio album, Hounds of Love (1985). It was released as the album's lead single in August 1985 by EMI Records. Written and produced by Bush using a Fairlight CMI synthesiser and a LinnDrum drum machine, the lyrics imagine a man and a woman who make "a deal with God" to exchange places. Bush debuted "Running Up That Hill" in a performance on the BBC One chat show Wogan.

Britt Max Mayfield is an American meteorologist who served as the director of the National Hurricane Center from 2000 to 2007. As director, Mayfield became a trusted voice in preparing for weather-related disasters, particularly those involving tropical storms and hurricanes.

Stranger Things is an American television series created by the Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the first season was released on Netflix on July 15, 2016. The second and third seasons followed in October 2017 and July 2019, respectively, and the fourth season was released in two volumes in May and July 2022. The fifth and final season was released in three volumes, including the finale, in November and December 2025. The show combines elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, coming-of-age, and drama.

The first season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things premiered worldwide on the streaming service Netflix on July 15, 2016. Producted by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the series was created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Karl Gajdusek also serves as an executive producer and co-showrunner for the season. The season stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, and Matthew Modine, with Joe Keery, Noah Schnapp and Shannon Purser appearing in recurring roles.

Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, often credited as the Duffer Brothers, are both American film and television show makers. The brothers are identical twins and work on all their projects as a pair. They are best known as the creators, showrunners, and executive producers of the Netflix supernatural science fiction horror series Stranger Things (2016–2025), and have also written and directed the horror film Hidden (2015) and written and produced episodes of the Fox science fiction series Wayward Pines (2015–2016). The Duffer Brothers founded the production company Upside Down Pictures, which is in an overall deal with Netflix.

The Upside Down is a fictional interdimensional wormhole featured in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers. Introduced in the first season (2016), it serves as a central antagonistic force and setting throughout the series, acting as a bridge between Earth—specifically a frozen-in-time replica of the town of Hawkins, Indiana—and a chaotic alternate realm known as the Abyss.

Joseph David Keery (born April 1992), also known by his musical stage name Djo, is an American actor, singer, musician, and songwriter. He rose to international prominence for his role as Steve Harrington in the sci-fi horror series Stranger Things (2016–2025). He has also starred in films such as Spree (2020) and Free Guy (2021) and the fifth season of the crime drama series Fargo (2023–2024). As a musician, Keery was a founding member of the psychedelic rock band Post Animal, which he left in 2018 due to acting commitments.

The second season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things, marketed as Stranger Things 2, was released worldwide on the streaming service Netflix on October 27, 2017. The series was created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as executive producers along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Iain Paterson.

Stranger Things is the original soundtrack for the first season of the Netflix series of the same name. The first and second volume were released digitally by Lakeshore and Ivada Records on August 12 and 19, 2016, respectively. Consisting of 75 songs produced and composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the electronic band Survive, this release sums up to the duo's first collaboration outside of the band. The CD release of the soundtrack was similar to the digital rollout, with the first and second volumes being released on September 16 and 23, respectively, and limited editions on vinyl, in both individual and boxed sets, were released in July 2017. A cassette version of the first volume of the soundtrack, sold exclusively by Urban Outfitters, was released on July 14, 2017. The cassette packaging features a cardboard cover that emulates an old VHS sleeve, while the cassette tape is made to look like a VHS tape.

The third season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things, marketed as Stranger Things 3, was released worldwide on the streaming service Netflix on July 4, 2019, coinciding with Independence Day, the season's centered holiday. The series was created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as executive producers along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Iain Paterson.

The fourth season of the American science fiction horror drama television series Stranger Things, marketed as Stranger Things 4, was released worldwide on the streaming service Netflix in two volumes. The first set of seven episodes was released on May 27, 2022, and the second set of two episodes was released on July 1. The season was produced by the show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, along with Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Iain Paterson, and Curtis Gwinn.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a play written by Kate Trefry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Trefry. The story serves as a prequel to the events of the television series Stranger Things, exploring the backstory of Henry Creel before he became the antagonist Vecna. The production, directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, previewed on November 17, 2023, and officially opened on December 14 at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End. The play began a run on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre, New York City, on April 22, 2025. In an interview with Variety, the Duffer Brothers confirmed the play is canon to the original series, with the series finale referencing events of the play. Both productions of the play in the West End and on Broadway announced their closing dates on June 9, 2026.