The Duffer Brothers’ Next Sci-Fi After Stranger Things Is Only Weeks Away

The Duffer brothers’ next sci-fi show after Stranger Things is only months away from its debut, which looks as though it could well repeat much of what made Stranger Things itself so successful. It’s safe to say that Stranger Things is one of the most successful Netflix shows of all time, with the series’ final two seasons being the third and fourth most-watched seasons of any show ever on the platform, beaten only by Wednesday season 1 and Adolescence.

Given the sci-fi show’s immense popularity, it’s been interesting to see the path the Duffer brothers intend to pave for themselves following the end of Stranger Things, particularly when taking into account the more divided reception to the last chapter of the show. This proves the Duffers aren’t entirely invulnerable to making stories that connect with audiences less, but their track record still certainly bodes well for future projects the two are involved with.

Though the Duffer brothers initially followed up after Stranger Things with a relatively different kind of show – which is scheduled to be succeeded by another Stranger Things release in the form of spinoff series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 – the next show that has had the pair involved in its creative process after that is set to release next month, and delves into decidedly similar territory to Stranger Things while following a largely different story, which is already interesting to note on a few different levels.

May 2026 Bring Us Another Sci-Fi Netflix Release That Involves The Duffer Bros

While the next show led by the Duffer brothers after Stranger Things was that of horror series Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen – which released in March 2026 – the next non-Stranger Things sci-fi series the creative duo are to be involved with is now on the near horizon. The Boroughs has both Matt and Ross Duffer as executive producers for the project, and is set to debut on May 21, 2026, with all eight of its episodes releasing on the same day, allowing audiences to watch it all at once.

The story teases for The Boroughs establish that the series is about a strange entity that endangers the inhabitants of a retirement community, leading some of its residents to band together to solve the mystery of what they’re up against, and how to put a stop to it.

Given the staggering success of Stranger Things season 1, there is much prospective potential in The Boroughs if the Duffer brothers provided advice on how to navigate starting off a major sci-fi story set in another otherwise ordinary location, particularly since the series is also set to star major talent like Alfred Molina and Geena Davis in its cast.

Interestingly enough, while the ages of these characters are very different to the initially child-focused cast of Stranger Things, The Boroughs already appears to share some narrative similarities that may help it appeal further to Stranger Things fans, and succeed on Netflix more broadly speaking.

The Boroughs Already Looks Similar To Stranger Things In Some Key Ways

Though Stranger Things centers primarily around a group of children and follows them into their teens, whereas The Boroughs hinges around some retired and more elderly characters, both series are sci-fi installments focused on their protagonists uncovering a supernatural-seeming threat to their lives, and working together to deal with it.

Ultimately, it does seem the way in which both releases utilize their sci-fi elements will be similar as well, with the genre justifying the existence of unusual creatures unlike those found within the real world in both stories, and also establishing a threat that the protagonists fear they can’t explain to others as they won’t be believed, forcing them to confront the threat personally.

With all this in mind, it seems very likely that The Boroughs will mirror some aspects of the kind of magic the early setup of Stranger Things had, and thus could become something of a must-watch for Stranger Things fans after its release in May, as well as another valuable hit for Netflix following the ending of Stranger Things itself in December 2025.

The Boroughs

Release Date

May 21, 2026

Network

Netflix

Directors

Augustine Frizzell, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Ben Taylor