Stranger Things just scored another win. And it’s all thanks to the show’s intensive—and perhaps a bit extreme—fan base.
According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, the man who is suing the series’ creators has scrapped his demands to have the show’s content pulled from Netflix. The plaintiff, filmmaker Charlie Kessler, reportedly made the decision after receiving a wave of threats from angry fans.
Kessler doesn’t provide any details about the nature of the alleged threats, but it’s clear the intimidation tactics have him shook. But unfortunately for viewers, this doesn’t mean the legal fight is over. Kessler is still seeking monetary damages from the show’s creators for allegedly ripping off his ideas.
In early April, Kessler filed a lawsuit against the Duffer Brothers, claiming they stole the concept of his 2012 short film called Montauk, which, like Stranger Things, focuses on covert government experiments. The filmmaker also claims he and his agent pitched a Montauk series to the Duffer Brothers in 2014, when they had given the showrunners the script, film, and ideas. Though Kessler never inked a deal with the Duffer Brothers, he insists his concepts have been used throughout the hit series, which is why he is asking for a cut.
The Duffer Brothers maintain that they began working on the Stranger Things concept years before Kessler's alleged pitch. According to TMZ, the brothers have provided some documents that prove they began developing a Sci-fi series set in 1980s Montauk as early as 2010.
“Mr. Kessler’s claim is completely meritless,” the Duffers’ attorney Alex Kohner said a statement to Deadline. “He had no connection to the creation or development of‘Stranger Things. The Duffer Brothers have neither seen Mr. Kessler’s short film nor discussed any project with him. This is just an attempt to profit from other people’s creativity and hard work.”
