Inside the Duffer Brothers’ Tumultuous First Movie Experience

Before Matt and Ross Duffer became household names for their work on Stranger Things, they faced a whirlwind of challenges with their first feature film. Their journey into Hollywood began with a psychological thriller called The Hidden, a project that would test their resolve and reshape their creative ambitions.

From College Script to Studio Deal

While still in college, the Duffer twins penned the script for The Hidden, a tense story set in a post-apocalyptic America. The plot follows a family—played by Alexander Skarsgård, Andrea Riseborough, and Emily Alyn Lind—struggling to survive after a devastating outbreak. The script quickly caught the attention of major studios, sparking a bidding war that ended with Warner Bros. securing the rights.

Reflecting on that moment, Ross Duffer recalled,

“It sold in this dream scenario for someone recently out of college. There was a bidding war between studios, and it felt like we suddenly went from being unemployed to being in Entourage or something. It felt like this amazing dream come true.”

For two young filmmakers, it seemed like the start of something big.

Studio Pressure and Creative Struggles

However, the excitement quickly gave way to stress. The Duffers soon found themselves under intense scrutiny from studio executives. Matt Duffer described the experience as having

“studio executives yelling”

at them constantly, a sentiment his brother echoed. The pressure mounted as their dream project began to unravel.

Ross admitted,

“It was unbelievable to us at the time, and then that ended up going from a dream experience to crashing and burning.”

The brothers, who had spent their lives preparing for a career in film, suddenly faced uncertainty about their future. Despite positive feedback from critics, The Hidden received only a limited release, leaving the Duffers feeling lost and unsure of their next steps.

Turning Setbacks Into Opportunity

Matt later reflected on their state of mind, saying they were

“a little delusional,”

since filmmaking was all they knew. Ross even joked about their job prospects, saying they worried they

“couldn’t even get a job at Starbucks.”

Yet, just a year after this setback, the brothers would find themselves at the center of a cultural phenomenon with Stranger Things.

With the massive success of their Netflix series, the Duffers have since shifted their focus back to film. They recently inked a deal with Paramount Pictures to produce movies with guaranteed theatrical releases—an opportunity that eluded them during their time at Netflix. As they look ahead, the lessons learned from their first film continue to shape their approach to storytelling and production.