Joyce and Hopper standing together and looking confused in an episode of Stranger Things
The replacements for Joyce, Hopper, and Vecna in the Stranger Things prequel have been officially announced. The prequel refers to Broadway's Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which explores the origins of Henry Creel before he became known as the antagonistic Vecna.
The play officially opened on December 14 at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End. It then began a run at the Marquis Theatre in New York City last April, although it will undergo a significant change moving forward. As revealed by Playbill, and beginning next April, a new group of actors will be welcomed to The First Shadow. Shea Grant will play Joyce, while Matthew Erick White, a newcomer, will portray Hopper. As for the central part of Henry Creel, who has been played by Tony nominee Louis McCartney, he'll have his final show on March 29. The role will then be played by Victor de Paula Rocha. Other casting changes were similarly confirmed. Ayana Cymone and Juan Carlos will take over the roles of Patty Newby and Bob Newby, respectively, with further casting announcements expected at a later date. For audiences of the Netflix series who are unfamiliar with the stage play, Patty is a character who gets a bigger spotlight in The First Shadow. Patty, previously played on stage by Ella Karuna Williams and Miranda Mufema, is Henry's high school girlfriend. Bob Newby, as seen in the Netflix Original, is Patty's brother and is portrayed by Sean Astin. Although the four-time Tony-winning prequel has a different focus than the television show, it is considered part of the Stranger Things canon timeline. Based on a story by franchise creators The Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Trefry, with Trefry also credited as writer, The First Shadow is finally coming to stream on Netflix. It was revealed on February 10 that a filmed version of the play will stream on Netflix, with shooting taking place over the course of five days. An exact release date has not yet been unveiled, however. Screen Rant Report: Subscribe and never miss what matters Dive into the world of movies and TV shows with Screen Rant, your source for news, reviews, and exclusive content. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Despite the sharply mixed reactions to the Stranger Things season 5 ending, executives at Netflix are still keeping the franchise alive. There's a live-action spinoff, as well as a Stranger Things animated series, and now The First Shadow for audiences that are unable to catch the stage show. The live-action spinoff is still in its early stages, with scant details. The animated Tales from '85 with recast voice actors premieres on April 23. It should be interesting to see if these projects capture the fandom of the original Stranger Things. 648 9.1/10 8/10 Stranger Things 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Drama Mystery Horror Science Fiction Release Date 2016 - 2025-00-00 Network Netflix Showrunner Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer Directors Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz Writers Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock 7 Images Close Cast See All
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