While the Duffer Brothers have acknowledged Stephen King’s influence throughout Stranger Things, a season 4 hint suggests a tighter relationship.
There were several Easter eggs in the Stranger Things season 4 finale, but Lucas’ reading material stuck out because it subtly hinted at the Duffer Brothers’ upcoming blockbuster film, The Talisman. The conclusion of Stranger Things after season 5 has been announced, giving the Duffer Brothers the chance to explore new narratives. Given that Stephen King is one of their biggest influences, it makes sense that they would adapt one of King’s many outstanding books for television.
Although the whole Stranger Things season 4 finale was undoubtedly explosive (at times literally), viewers are given a more touching moment at the close of the program. Max is hospitalized in a coma after being assaulted by Vecna and unexpectedly revived by Eleven. Lucas and Erica are by her bedside. Lucas reads a passage from The Talisman, a young-adult fantasy book written in 1984 by Stephen King and Peter Straub, to his injured girlfriend while he is unsure if she can hear him. Some viewers might not be aware of the deeper connections between this well-known book and the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, despite understanding the significance of the excerpt Lucas reads.
In the novel The Talisman, 12-year-old Jack Sawyer embarks on a harrowing quest to find the Talisman, a relic that may be able to cure not only his dying mother but also the whole human race. His trip takes him across the nation and into the Territories, a perilous parallel realm stated in the Stranger Things excerpt that strangely resembles the Upside Down by the Duffer Brothers. Despite the novel’s intriguing connection to the Stranger Things universe, the publication of this particular book also serves as a teaser for the Duffer Brothers’ upcoming project—a Netflix series adaptation of The Talisman.
The Talisman Show on Netflix: What We Know
Although not much is known about The Talisman Netflix series, it has been announced that Steven Spielberg and Matt and Ross Duffer will serve as executive producers. Spielberg, one of the greatest sci-fi film legends of all time, purchased the film rights to The Talisman in 1982, two years before the book was even published, and has been unsuccessfully attempting to adapt King and Straub’s book for more than 35 years, first as a movie and then as a TV miniseries.
Luckily, the Duffer Brothers might be the ideal choice to lend a helping hand on the new Netflix series given their experience delving into the fantasy-fiction world of alternate realities and strange monsters in Stranger Things. With Curtis Gwinn, a producer on the horror series, joining the team as showrunner and writer, the brothers aren’t the only Stranger Things alums moving over to The Talisman.
The Talisman’s Netflix adaption is currently in its very early stages. The Duffer Brothers, however, have revealed that they’ve spoken with Spielberg and other producers and already have an idea for the first episode, so viewers may not need to wait too long for additional details about the show. The Talisman, which is being produced by Paramount Pictures and Amblin Partners with Spielberg and the Duffer Brothers at the helm, is sure to be the best sequel to Stranger Things season 5 viewers could ask for. Previous Netflix adaptations of Stephen King’s work, including In The Tall Grass, 1922, and Gerald’s Game, have been enormously popular.
