“Stranger Things: The First Shadow ”Stage Play Trailer Explores Vecna's Unsettling Backstory — Watch
'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' is now playing at the Phoenix Theatre on London's West End
Teenager Henry Creel is "normal" — at least, that's what he's trying to tell himself in the trailer for Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Set in 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the live stage adaptation of Netflix's hit sci-fi horror series previously opened in late 2023 and is now teasing more backstory of Henry (who later becomes the season 4 villain Vecna), plus some serious impressive special effects, in its trailer.
A release also states that the show, which is a prequel to the events of the 1980s-set Stranger Things, will "run into 2025 due to unprecedented demand."
In the roughly 90-second trailer, Henry and his family relocate to Hawkins for a "fresh start," which quickly goes south after the teen begins having visions — and nosebleeds.
"It's not real ... I'm normal," he says throughout the eerie trailer, which features several unsettling scenes from the production set against a backdrop of the show's signature synth soundtrack.
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Manuel Harlan
Stranger Things: The First ShadowRelated: Stranger Things: Creepy First Look at London Stage Show Brings Back a Familiar Villain
According to an official synopsis, Stranger Things: The First Shadow follows a young Jim Hopper (played by David Harbour in the TV show), Joyce Maldonado (later Byers, played by Winona Ryder in the series) and Bob Newby (Sean Astin in the TV show), who are facing a series of everyday challenges before their lives get turned — well, Upside Down.
"When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy … and the shadows of the past have a very long reach," the synopsis adds.
In the play, Louis McCartney portrays the teenage Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower in the TV series), while Oscar Lloyd stars as young Hopper, Isabella Pappas as young Joyce and Christopher Buckley as young Bob.
Preview performances for Stranger Things: The First Shadow began Nov. 17, 2023, at the Phoenix Theater on London's West End, with a world premiere weeks later, on Dec. 14.
Manuel Harlan
Stranger Things: The First ShadowRelated: See the 'Origin of Stranger Things' in New Look at Upcoming London Stage Show
A synopsis promises that Stranger Things: The First Shadow "will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end," in advance of the highly anticipated fifth and final season of Netflix's hit series.
Production began on season 5 back in January and, the following month, Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy gave PEOPLE a cryptic teaser about the series’ long-awaited finale.
“If I was a fan who had nothing to do with Stranger Things, I would presume that the final season was going to be big in scale,” said Levy, 55. “But I'd also want to note that the heart and soul of that show, which is its characters, are intact and are as central as spectacle.”
“And indeed, they are,” he added.
Tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow are on sale at strangerthingsonstage.com.
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