15 things Netflix's 'Stranger Things' took from Stephen King's 'It'
Warner Bros.; Netflix
Even the great Stephen King himself has expressed his utter joy at having found the many links between Stranger Things and his sci-fi masterpieces. Furthermore, the Duffer brothers have not been coy about who and what inspired the show.
Eleven shares many similarities with King’s most famous anti-heroine, Carrie, such as her psychic powers and sinister upbringing, while there are whiffs of Stand By Me, like the scene where they walk along train tracks in search of Will.
As you may know, the Duffer brothers had originally pitched an IT adaptation. They were rejected and thankfully went on to create Stranger Things, which has gained a huge fan base who more than appreciate its retro take on the science fiction genre. With inspiration from the likes of King and Spielberg, you can draw many comparisons between Stranger Things and some of your favourite classics, including IT.
In the very first episode, Joyce, played by Winona Ryder, asks Will if he’s scared of clowns and even Eleven’s name could be a reference to a famous quote from IT: “What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”And in case you were wondering, Finn Wolfhard’s role as Richie Tozier is just a mere coincidence as recently relayed by the director of IT, Andie Muschietti.
Because of our love for all things strange, it is our absolute joy to present you with 15 Things Stranger Things Stole From Stephen King’s IT.
15. The font used for the title of "Stranger Things" replicates pretty much all of King's novels
The fact that Stranger Things adopts the same font as many of Stephen King’sbook covers has cropped up in numerous articles comparing the show to King’s work. Indeed, throughout the entire season, you can find small copycat clues that link to one King novel or another.
With today’s obsession with all that is retro, it’s not hard to see why they chose this font for the title of the show and although this type of lettering is mainly linked to King’s novels, similar fonts can be found on a wide range of vintage horror and sci-fi books. Anyone remember those Point Horror books as a kid? The dark backdrop with the large domineering letters were too enticing not to pick up. As soon as you see those bold big red letters with the bent edges, you know you’re retromania will be put to rest!
14. Both Eleven and Beverly allow the boys to become familiar with girls
Ben from IT and Mike from Stranger Things both take a liking to the ‘new girl’, and we see how they deal with their new feelings of attraction and protectiveness. From the outset it is clear that both groups have little experience with the female gender, but we slowly see them grow in confidence as the girls become a welcome addition.
Both Eleven and Beverly bring a certain level of maturity and common-sense which the boys do not possess. This is most likely down to their experiences, which have made them wary of adults and given them a darker outlook on things. With the new arrivals, we are able to see the boys, Ben and Mike, tackle these foreign emotions. Their love for the young girls mean they both have a lot more to lose, making the danger all the more menacing.
13. Both have one sole female character who joins the group
There are some prominent female characters in both. In IT, it is Beverly Marsh, a girl who is abused by her father, who later becomes a victim of domestic abuse as she struggles to leave the second violent man in her life.
In Stranger Things, Eleven also has a complex relationship with her own “father figure”, Brenner. Eleven calls him ‘Papa’, and it is not yet known if this man is her real dad or not, although it seems unlikely. Brenner is the director of the Hawkins lab in which Eleven was kept prisoner for experimental purposes. Eleven led an isolated life within the lab and is yet to learn about her mother, whom she was taken from as a baby by members of the lab. While Beverly’s relationship with her own family is strained, and Eleven’s non-existent, it is their misfortune that so fervently ties them to their friends.
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