Horror Report

Tag: stranger things

  • Stranger Thankgivings: Float readies for Macy’s parade

    Stranger Thankgivings: Float readies for Macy’s parade

    Just in time for groggy eyes to wake up from what may be a full night of streaming the first few episodes of Stranger Things 5, people are pretty excited about a show-themed float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade…

    Variety previous reported:

    Brendan Kennedy, director of creative production at Macy’s studio, has dried out from last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade after the festivities were dampened by persistent rain.

    Come rain or shine, Kennedy, now on his second parade, is ready to “show off the floats and balloons that we’ve been working on for over a year.”

    Aside from the traditional balloons and floats, Kennedy revealed Buzz Lightyear, Mario, Shrek and Pac-Man are among the new balloons. The phenomena that are KPop Demon Hunters and Labubu will also be represented during the parade.

    “The Duffer brothers have been on it the whole time,” Kennedy says. “This is such a cool departure from saying, ‘Hey, 3D print me something from a film.’ What we’re doing here is creating a world. This is fully experiential.”

    The float will feature the Hawkins National Laboratory. “There’s a containment device meant to contain an eight and a half foot tall Demogorgon puppet,” he adds. “That size is really in the wheelhouse of parade and continuing the legacy of Tony Sarg’s puppetry in the parade.”

    The float itself will feature practical effects, including lighting and smoke effects. “It’s the laboratory come to life.” Kennedy teases that there are easter eggs within the design of the float. In addition to that, Foreigner, whose music featured prominently in the show, will be performing on 34th Street.

  • There were no expenses spared for $tranger Thing$ 5

    There were no expenses spared for $tranger Thing$ 5

    It won’t be long now until the big release of Stranger Things Season 5. We’ve all been waiting for this one — not just for the story to continue, but to finally see how it all comes to an end. But the big question floating around right now isn’t just what will happen in Hawkins… it’s how much did this season actually cost to make?

    We’re being told Season 5 is going to be huge. The Duffer Brothers didn’t just go big — they swung for the fences. According to various trade publications, the production budget for Season 5 may have climbed past $626 million dollars. Let that sink in for a second. That’s a bigger budget than plenty of major films, and when you consider the length and scope of this season, it’s almost like we’re getting several movies stitched together into one long final chapter.

    The Duffer Brothers really did create one of the biggest science-fiction/horror hits of our time. And now we’re seeing the marketing push reflect that: Doritos, American Express, brand tie-ins, billboards, commercials — it’s everywhere. One last blast of the Upside Down meets 1980s nostalgia, flooding our feeds and our store shelves.

    But that price tag? If the numbers are accurate, this would make Season 5 one of the most expensive television seasons ever made — even surpassing the $365 million budget of Avengers: Endgame in 2019..

    There is also a chance that the entire season of Stranger Things may STILL be shorter than Endgame–we kid Marvel. Rumor has it some people are still watching it in theaters since 2019 .. again we kid, we kid.

    So what should we expect? Honestly, probably a lot. Big action. Big emotional moments. Big everything. And according to the insiders, the Duffers really did go all-in to finish this story the right way. They were ‘swinging for the fences’ in the final season..

    But here’s the thing: let’s do ourselves a favor and avoid spoilers for at least a few weeks when it drops. We want to experience this in real time — not through leaks, comments, or breakdowns before we even get the chance to feel it.

    We have our theories. We have our predictions. But we’d rather watch it unfold with our own eyes, the way it’s meant to be seen.

    Just a few more weeks now. One last trip to Hawkins. One last time in the Upside Down.

  • Damage control in the upside down

    Damage control in the upside down

    DAMAGE CONTROL in the upside down..
    Millie Bobby Brown says how lucky she is to have David Harbour.. MORE.. despite rumors of ongoing tension on the set and complaints about behavior, the TUDUM may have revealed a new fonder relationship between the two STRANGER THINGS stars? She said .. “It’s been amazing. We’re so lucky to have each other,” Brown told Extra. “The show means so much to the both of us, and to everyone here. This has been the last 10 years of our lives.”
    Variety is among the outlets detailing how the Netflix etc team done damage control in the aftermath..

    MORE..

    “Obviously, you understand I can’t get into personal on-set matters, but I will say we’ve been doing this for 10 years with this cast, and at this point they’re family and we deeply care about them. So, you know, nothing matters more than just having a set where everyone feels safe and happy,” Ross Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet at the Stranger Things premiere…

    When you consider all things, the damage control is going pretty decently.. most media has already enriched themselves in product placements .. corporations own the media.. it’s all going according to plan..

  • First five minutes of STRANGER THINGS 5 revealed

    First five minutes of STRANGER THINGS 5 revealed

    The Stranger Things world premiere event just wrapped, and it ended with something huge — the first five minutes of Season 5.

    The scene opens with a young Will Byers in the Upside Down, softly singing “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” It’s eerie, familiar, and heavy with everything we know he’s been carrying. Suddenly, a Demogorgon appears. There’s a struggle — Will fights, but he’s dragged deeper into the dark.

    We’re taken to Vecna’s lair.

    Out of the mist, Vecna slowly emerges and approaches Will. He tells him that, “at long last,” they are finally going to begin. Then, in one of the most unsettling visuals yet, Vecna places his tentacles over Will’s mouth and inserts something into him.

    Cut to black.
    STRANGER THINGS logo.
    The music hits.

    And that’s it.

    The crowd reportedly lost it. Social media is already spiraling. The final chapter is finally starting. The slow burn, the buildup, the finish line — it’s all here.

    Season 5 has officially begun.

  • Sad red carpet: TUDUM goes upside down..

    Sad red carpet: TUDUM goes upside down..

    Just as the big Stranger Things 5 live event was set to start on TUDUM, it …. went down.

    Fans across the net are decrying the upside down nature of the big red carpet event!

    The first 5 minutes were set to be shown –at some point during the 4 hour event ..

    But when the initial stream ‘started,’ people all over were just angry and venting on social media..

    DEVELOPING..

  • CAN WE JUST STOP COMPARING SHOWS TO EACH OTHER AND ENJOY THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE?

    CAN WE JUST STOP COMPARING SHOWS TO EACH OTHER AND ENJOY THEM FOR WHAT THEY ARE?

    Collider just ran an article about Welcome to Derry, which has been on HBO for several days now. According to their write-up, they’re leaning into the idea that this series has a Stranger Things feel — the whole “group of kids vs. a mysterious, looming evil” angle. And sure, on the surface, that does exist here. But Collider also admits the show is darker, creepier, and more adult — and we agree with that part completely.

    We’ve been watching, and this is absolutely not just a sci-fi nostalgia trip. It’s heavier. More sinister. It leans way harder into horror than Stranger Things ever did.

    It’s set in 1962 and follows the twisted early events that open the door to the version of Derry, Maine, we all know… the one haunted by Pennywise the Dancing Clown. And yes — Bill Skarsgård is back, fully locked in, bringing the same chilling energy that made the movies so memorable.

    Collider points out that the show goes further into horror than Stranger Things does, and they’re right.

    But what we don’t love is when headlines try to frame it as though the two are the same thing. Just because a story has kids in danger doesn’t automatically make it Stranger Things. If anything, you can argue the influence goes the other direction — It existed long before Hawkins, Indiana, bikes, walkie-talkies, and The Upside Down. The Duffer Brothers have openly borrowed (lovingly) from 1980s pop culture, which itself was shaped by King. So the lineage is clear.

    It sometimes feels like we can’t just enjoy entertainment anymore without everything being compared, ranked, and stacked in lists.

    Why can’t a show be allowed to stand on its own without being “the next” anything?

    So here’s where we land:
    We appreciate Stranger Things.
    We appreciate Welcome to Derry.
    They are both completely different experiences — and that’s the point.

    We’ll enjoy Welcome to Derry now.
    And when Stranger Things arrives in a few weeks, we’ll enjoy that too.

    But let’s be honest — the reason a lot of us are here is Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise. He was phenomenal in the films, and he’s already proving he’s going to bring something equally unsettling, memorable, and terrifying to this series.

    Just let good storytelling be good storytelling.
    No comparisons needed.

  • No peace in the rainbow room! 11 VS HOPPER IN REAL LIFE COMPLAINT

    No peace in the rainbow room! 11 VS HOPPER IN REAL LIFE COMPLAINT

    The UK Daily Mail is sending shockwaves through both the Upside Down and the real world with breaking news that Millie Bobby Brown filed a complaint against David Harbour during the filming of Stranger Things Season 5.

    According to the report, Millie submitted a formal complaint accusing Harbour of bullying and harassment on set before production began on the show’s fifth and final season. The claims did not involve sexual misconduct. The complaint reportedly triggered a months-long internal investigation by Netflix, but as of now, the outcome has not been made public. Representatives for both actors—and Netflix itself—have declined to comment as we get closer to the December premiere.

    What’s also interesting is how little we saw of Hopper in the newly released Season 5 trailer. Maybe that’s coincidence… or maybe there’s more to it. And at this point, it’s unclear who leaked this to the Daily Mail in the first place. Was this someone with an axe to grind? Or was the story simply too juicy to keep locked away in the Rainbow Room?

    All jokes aside, the real question will be whether this has any impact on the rollout of Season 5 this month—and again near Christmas when the final installments hit. It could be a blip on the radar of the Demogorgons, or it could become a bigger conversation depending on how the public reacts.

    It’s worth noting that Hollywood has seen a wave of bullying and toxic set culture allegations in recent years—Nickelodeon being a big example. Major stars and even directors have faced serious backlash as these stories have come out. And now, it appears that Hopper is the one being accused by Eleven of crossing lines behind the scenes.

    We’ll be watching how this plays out… right along with the rest of the fandom.

    Developing..

  • And now for the second time today, the Stranger Things trailer revealed

    And now for the second time today, the Stranger Things trailer revealed

    Well, it’s that time — finally. The trailer has been released again. Remember, Netflix accidentally took the gate down earlier this morning and quickly deleted the trailer. But now, the official Stranger Things account has uploaded and released it for real this time.

    Social media apps spent the day taking down the “pirated” versions floating around — although, let’s be honest, it didn’t really leak. Netflix basically opened the door to the Upside Down themselves. But now you can watch the official trailer here, in the official way it was supposed to arrive.

    And yes — this is the same exact trailer that showed up hours ago that many of us already saw. But that’s okay. It’s still exciting. Now that we’ve gotten a taste of what Season 5 is bringing, it definitely looks epic.

    So go ahead — enjoy it. Watch it again. Break it down frame by frame if you want.

    Because the next several weeks are going to be a full-on barrage of all things Stranger Things — from TV spots to grocery store displays to every cross-marketing campaign imaginable. Get ready for an inundation of the Upside Down in your daily life.

    It’s happening.

  • Whoopsie.. Netflix publishes and then deletes Stranger Things 5 trailer

    Whoopsie.. Netflix publishes and then deletes Stranger Things 5 trailer

    Fans must have been shocked when the new Stranger Things trailer dropped last night… and probably even more shocked when Netflix immediately deleted it from X.

    Apparently, it wasn’t supposed to be released — at least not quite yet ..

    For days, fans have been buzzing because it was rumored the trailer would arrive today, earlier than expected. So when it suddenly appeared a few hours ago, the hype exploded across all realms.. . People shared it. Downloaded it. Screen-recorded it. It was everywhere for a few moments.. sure to go viral.

    Then it vanished.

    Netflix pulled it down so fast you’d think it never happened. Word is that some kind of technical glitch or accidental scheduling error occurred — surprising, considering how carefully choreographed Stranger Things promotional drops usually are.

    Of course, there are always theories. Some people are insisting that the “accidental leak” was intentional, part of a larger marketing stunt to create buzz. But honestly? That doesn’t really track. Stranger Things promotions are historically precise and times perfectly without chaos and sloppiness.

    It’s far more believable that this really wasn’t supposed to be out yet .. and the fans who saw it just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

    Either way… the cat’s out of the bag now. The trailer is circulating through reuploads, retweets, and grainy screen-grabs faster than anyone can control. And what was supposed to be a huge, dramatic “drop day” might have just turned into something stranger .. a scramble, a glitch, a moment of digital luck for whoever caught it first.

    Today just got interesting.

    Waiting on the OFFICIAL trailer. (and what if it is different!?)

    https://twitter.com/metal13YNWA/status/1983808045735145803?t=j25WH-hIJBaTi_bUsODvOg&s=19
  • Sleep Well STRANGER THINGS fans.. a trailer drops on October 30..

    Sleep Well STRANGER THINGS fans.. a trailer drops on October 30..

    Get ready for several weeks of intense marketing.. on all media platforms..

    It starts tomorrow on Halloween eve..

    An official trailer appears set to be released..