Frank Darabont was still new to retirement when Netlix released the first season of “Stranger Things” in 2016. He had wrapped his final directing gig — the 2013 “Mob City” episode “Red Light”— and moved with his wife to California’s Central Coast, where he could bask in the wake of an incredible filmography that included “The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile,” “The Mist,” episodes of “The Walking Dead,” “The Shield,” “Tales from the Crypt” and more.
About a decade into retirement, however, Darabont received a call from his agent, informing him that Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of “Stranger Things,” were fans of his work. The feeling was mutual, as Darabont and his wife had binged the Netflix series’ first four seasons several times over. The agents set up a friendly meeting between them when the Duffers were still developing the show’s fifth and final season.
Shortly thereafter, Dan Trachtenberg, who was attached to direct two episodes of “Stranger Things 5,” dropped out due to a scheduling conflict with his next film, “Predator: Badlands.” In a Hail Mary, the Duffers offered Darabont to take Trachtenberg’s place, and after a week’s consideration, he decided to come out of retirement to join the “Stranger Things” team on set.
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers and Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Courtesy of Netflix
Darabont, 66, directed Episodes 3 and 5 of the final season. Episode 3 released in with Volume 1 on Nov. 26. Titled “The Turnbow Trap,” the episode is packed with action and emotion in the Upside Down and the Rightside Up, showcasing a triumphant return for the director. Episode 5, titled “Shock Jock,” will kick off the three-episode second volume on Dec. 25. (The “Stranger Things” series finale releases in theaters and on Netflix Dec. 31.)
Between the volumes, Variety spoke with the director to hear about his experience working on “Stranger Things” and his return to the filmmaking craft after twelve years since he last sat in the director’s chair.
We heard that you were a fan of “Stranger Things” before you met the Duffer brothers. How did you get into the show?
My wife and I were fans of the show from early on. We actually had watched all four seasons three or four or maybe even five times. It was so good. Then one day out of the blue, my agent called me and said, “The agent in the office next to me represents the Duffer brothers, and he just wanted me to tell you that they’re big fans of yours.” I said, “That’s fantastic. That’s very flattering. I’m big fans of theirs.” So I thought, “Well, next time I’m in L.A., I’ll get together with them for lunch and just compliment them.” I also was fascinated to know where the heck they came from, because I never heard of the Duffer brothers before they created this huge success on Netflix. So I had lunch with them when I was down in L.A. and I think about a week later, my agent called me again and said they’re inviting you to come direct an episode.
And what was your initial reaction to that?
I hadn’t done it in a while, but they said it’s like riding a bicycle: You don’t forget. And they were right. From the first moment on set, there was nothing unfamiliar about the process for me, though it had been about 13 years. The one episode offer wound up being two episodes and six months in Atlanta. It was a hell of a great experience.
The Duffer brothers told us that you took about a week to consider the offer. What was going through your mind during that week and what made you want to accept?
Well, once you’re retired, it’s bliss. My wife and I live on the Central Coast in Monterey, where we don’t have the pressures of Hollywood on our back. I’m enjoying life, and for once I’m no longer the workaholic that I was for almost 30 years in Hollywood. So I had to wrestle with that question and, of course, talk to my wife about it, because I wasn’t going to go to Atlanta unless she came also. I love being married, and I’m not going to be in some place for months without her. We also have five chihuahuas that we would have to take. It was kind of a big move, especially once it became two episodes. We were looking at six months living in a different place. When you’re young and single, it’s not that big of a deal, but when you’re an old fart like me who has sunk roots in a community and is comfortable being an unemployed bum, you have to ask yourself “Do I really do this?” But ultimately, it was my love for the show and my wife’s love for the show that kind of overruled all those other concerns and we said, “What the heck? Let’s do it!” I’m glad we did.
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler and Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Courtesy of Netflix
While you were considering, were you allowed to read the scripts for the episodes that you would direct?
Yeah, they had sent me the scripts and I thought they were terrific. I asked for all of the scripts that they had written thus far so I could track what was going on in the whole thing. They were very generous with sending me those, as long as it was kept under strict secrecy. They’re not quite the nuclear codes, but they’re pretty close. The fascinating thing about our culture is how much people want to dig into this stuff instead of wait to be surprised by what they see on screen. I am the ultimate no-spoilers guy. When I was in junior high, I went to go see “Soylent Green” and some asshole fellow students told me before I went in, “Oh, Soylent Green is people.” I’ve never forgiven them. It’s part of the reason why I’m not on social media and I’m also reluctant to watch trailers. Too much is given away. If I have an interest in something, I want to enjoy it fresh.
Did you notice anything different in the process of filmmaking returning to the director’s chair after 12 or 13 years?
Oh gosh, yeah. Only on “Mob City” did I finally transition from film to digital, and I ended up loving it. It helps a director so much because you don’t ever have to call a cut. Whenever a director calls cut, the energy on a set dissipates. Now you can just say, “Everybody back to one” and the energy remains where it needs to be. The actors remain in the same headspace as you roll three or four takes before calling cut. I love that aspect of it. Filmmakers have so many new tools now. [On “Stranger Things”] our DP was shooting with a techno crane, which can sometimes be frustrating, but can do brilliant things. Also the camera operator is no longer where you’d think he is. He’s not by the camera anymore, but often in some tent off to the side. Same with whoever’s pulling focus. They’re longer next to the camera all the time. So much has been outsourced to these technological devices.
But I have to praise this crew. They were absolutely wonderful across the board. A director’s relationship with their crew is very important to me, especially the DP and AD, and I had great on both. Brett Jutkiewicz was my DP and Lisa Rowe was my AD, and they were both fantastic. The Duffers know how to crew up a show, and some of these folks had been with them since Season 1. There were so many resources all around me that could help answer any question. It was a great, collaborative vibe.
Episode 3 has lots of emotional scenes, including heavy dialogues between Will (Noah Schnapp) and Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will and Robin (Maya Hawke) and Holly (Nell Fisher) and Henry (Jamie Campbell Bower). What was it like working with this ensemble to create those dramatic dynamics?
I’ve always said that if you have the right actor, there’s not much that they need to hear from a director. I learned that on my very first theatrical feature, “The Shawshank Redemption.” Sometimes a director can get too much into an actor’s ear. Tim Robbins, for example, loves conversations with the director. Morgan Freeman does not. He’s a very intuitive, very instinctive actor, and does a brilliant work. Both of them do. I remember midway through the shoot, I was talking to Morgan about whatever scene we’re going to shoot next and I could see his eyes glazing over. He was just being very polite and listening to me, so I stopped myself and said, “Morgan, you really don’t need to hear this, do you?” and he goes “No, just tell me where to stand and how to turn. That kind of stuff.” From that moment on, I let him do his job. It was a great lesson for a first-time director. Every actor is different.
Courtesy of Netflix
Did the cast of “Stranger Things” prefer more dialogue and direction, or did most of them take control of their own performances? Or was there a mix?
They’d been doing it for so long, especially the youngsters who were around 10 when they started and now they’re young adults. They’ve been with these characters for half of their lives, so they’re pretty dialed in. There were little, physical things that needed direction, like when Dustin [Gaten Matarazzo] comes out of the van and drops this big bag of tools right in front of the lens. To have it fall exactly where the camera is going to land took a lot of practice and blocking. I think there were five takes or something. There were also things like Caleb [McLaughlin] running down the stairs after he’s thrown acetone at the Demogorgon. I needed him to pause and look back at a certain moment because I knew something was going to be added in post that needed an extra beat of time. You’re sort of doing all this calculus on set to make sure it can be cut together right. That’s usually where I get more specific and precise with an actor, but aside from that, they know their characters. As a director, my job is to provide the raw materials for what you need in the editing room and also to be head cheerleader on set. You’re cheering everybody on and encouraging them. A small bit of encouragement or recognition from the director can fuel you for another 24 hours of exhausting work
Has this experience made you want to direct more, or are you comfortable returning to retirement?
I really do love being retired. However, I also love being on a set with creative people, as long as I’m not fighting battles with some evil empire, studio, or network. I bless Netflix for being so supportive. If you have a good situation like that and it can be about the creative process, then its a pleasure. So my longwinded answer winds up being, it depends. If there’s a friendly situation and I’m excited enough about the material, then it’s certainly a possibility. I’m not ruling anything out, but it would have to be something special. “Stranger Things” was a special opportunity for me to be a small part of a very large, wonderful thing that so many people love. I’m grateful to the Duffers for that opportunity. It will always be a great memory working with them and that cast and crew. I will love seeing where their careers take them. They all have such potential and they’re such good people.
I know you don’t like spoilers, but what can we look forward to in Episode 5?
I think in Episode 5 you’re gonna get some really cool stuff with Henry. I don’t think I’m really spoiling anything by saying that you can you see in Episode 3 that we’re kind of heading into his story more. It was a great thrill to do. We have a lot of good acting and good scenes that you can look forward to.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
