Frank Darabont, best known for directing The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Walking Dead, among others, has been retired for a while after receiving a call from the creators of Stranger Things.
A fan of the show, he recalls how he got into the series. “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.”
He tells Variety, “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 a 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,” the director continues.
Following a lunch with them, Frank recalls his agent called him, telling him the Duffer brothers wanted him to direct.
“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.”
It is worth noting that Frank directed episodes three and five of the last Stranger Things season.
