- Primary Subject: The Boroughs and Stranger Things' Connection
- Key Update: The Duffer Brothers have officially released the first trailer for The Boroughs, confirming its premiere date and deep thematic connection to Stranger Things.
- Status: Post-Production / Marketing Phase
- Last Verified: April 14, 2026
- Quick Answer: The Duffer Brothers confirmed The Boroughs' Netflix premiere date and its deep thematic connection to their former series, Stranger Things.
While the Duffer Brothers are not the primary showrunners of The Boroughs, Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews are; they have been vocal about why the latest Netflix series feels like a spiritual successor to Stranger Things, from supernatural mysteries to otherworldly beings lurking in their world.
The Duffer Brothers on the 'Shared DNA' Between The Boroughs and Stranger Things
In 2023, Netflix announced a new supernatural/horror drama series that the Duffers would be producing, The Boroughs, which was referred to as "Stranger Things at a retirement home."
It wasn't until Netflix's recent Next on Netflix 2025 slate presentation that the Duffers made the connection between the two series, revealing for the first time that, just like their Stranger Things counterparts, characters in The Boroughs will also be battling "otherworldly evil." Sound familiar?
"Of the two projects [The Boroughs vs. Something Very Bad is Going to Happen], The Boroughs probably shares the most DNA with Stranger Things because it's about a group of misfits who fight an otherworldly evil," Matt Duffer said on Next on Netflix 2025, noting that there are only a few key differences: "Only unlike Stranger Things, it's set in a retirement community, so that's something different. This time, our misfits are a little on the older side. They ride gold carts, not bikes."
When asked in an Entertainment Weekly interview, showrunners Addiss and Matthews admit that some Stranger Things elements were likely 'infused' out of inspiration: "I think we love a lot of the same things as Matt and Ross. We're around the same age. We love the same things. That has infused our styles."
But the showrunners also made a disclaimer that The Boroughs still stands as its own show rather than a copycat of Netflix's biggest series: "You can't try to be Stranger Things. It's the biggest show in the world. What you could do is try to tell a great story that you think people who love Stranger Things might also love."
Similarities Found in The Boroughs That Stranger Things Would Likely Clock
From the misfits working together to The Boroughs' own version of monsters, there are several similarities shared between New Mexico's retired folks and Hawkins' own D&D players/mystery solvers.
Firstly, both themes blend "heart and horror" with a "deeply touching adventurous tone." Both series also feature the "unlikely heroes" trope, in which the nerdy D&D kids in Hawkins and the retired folks are the least likely to be believed by the societies they live in.
Two of the closest elements the two worlds share are the small town setting (in which The Boroughs is set in a "picturesque retirement community" in the New Mexico desert that hides dark secrets) and the otherworldly threats (similar to the Upside Down and its creatures) that threaten to destroy the town and its residents.
Addiss, however, added in the same interview that the one crucial thing distinguishing The Boroughs from Stranger Things is the problem with age gaps: "Maybe the only group that's more ignored, overlooked, and not listened to than kids is senior citizens. A lot of the thematics and a lot of the difficulties lined up, they're just on the other end of the timeline."
For fans mourning the eventual end of the Stranger Things era, The Borough looks to be the perfect bridge into a new world of supernatural suspense.
The latest Netflix supernatural series, The Boroughs, is slated to premiere on Netflix on May 21, 2026. Stay tuned!
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