With their smash hit series Stranger Things nearing its fifth and final season on Netflix, the Duffer Brothers continue to be one of the most prolific and successful creatives in Hollywood. However, a bombshell was dropped when it was announced that the Duffer Brothers would soon leave Netflix for Paramount, departing from the streaming company that made them household names.

While the Duffers want to “create new stories” at Paramount, like they did with Stranger Things at Netflix, this could also mean making their own movies utilizing some of the company’s biggest franchises. Based on the Duffers’ experience with writing and directing in genres like action, sci-fi, and horror, there is no shortage of stories they could make for Paramount.

The studio is responsible for some of the biggest franchises of all time, but they also hold several notable pieces of IP that are in need of a fresh, new direction for a variety of reasons. The Duffer Brothers could be perfect to help them bring back a few. And while they won’t get to all of these during a four-year deal, each is a great option.

G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe has the potential to be one of the biggest franchises at Paramount, but the previous adaptations have not lived up to that promise. Past live-action films have had mixed-to-negative reception, and the box office hauls haven’t been particularly mᴀssive. That’s why the studio has been plotting a Transformers crossover.

However, there is still potential for this franchise to succeed as a standalone big-budget series. Considering how big G.I. Joe was in the 1980s, the Duffer Brothers could bring the reverence and cinematic artistry that they brought to recreating the ’80s in Stranger Things with this iconic action IP. Their balance of strong characters, world-building, and growing action experience all lend themselves well here.

The Ring

Since the critical and commercial disappointment of 2017’s Rings, the iconic Ring franchise has been left on the shelf by Paramount. That should not be the case for a franchise as recognizable as this, especially given that horror movies consistently perform well at the box office.

The Duffer Brothers have become famous for creating terrifying, supernatural mysteries on television, so the Ring franchise could be a perfect IP for them to tackle next. They could easily remake the 2002 original, adapt one of the other Japanese novels on which the franchise is based, or find another path forward to bring this series back to the big screen.

Cloverfield

The Duffer Brothers have essentially made their own kaiju movies in Stranger Things by unleashing giant monsters like the Mind Flayer on the citizens of Hawkins. It’s easy to imagine then how they could work with the Cloverfield universe to bring this modern sci-fi franchise back to its roots by presenting another heart-pounding movie about a giant monster rampaging through a major city.

However, based on their track record, the Duffers could ground this high-concept sci-fi blockbuster with heartfelt human drama. This would allow their reboot to fall in line with the story of the original. They could even take on the job of directing the long-gestating proper Cloverfield sequel.

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place is still one of Paramount’s popular ongoing franchises, with director John Krasinski now working on the third part of the franchise. However, the Duffer Brothers can still make their mark on the franchise by developing their own spinoff film similar to A Quiet Place: Day One.

There is still plenty of untapped potential for the franchise as its post-apocalyptic story continues to unfold. A Quiet Place also carries DNA similar to Stranger Things in terms of its story, characters, and scares, so the Duffers could easily fit into this hit horror franchise.

Star Trek

While the Star Trek franchise is far from the grave, it has been almost a decade since a new big-budget Star Trek film has been made for theaters. Paramount has been actively seeking ways to change this, and the Duffer brothers’ arrival could be just what they need to continue the new adventures of Captain Kirk and the rest of the USS Enterprise.

It would be interesting to see what kind of cinematic adventure they could present in the world of this legendary space opera. The Duffers have shown they are capable of crafting gripping ensemble epics with Stranger Things. They could transfer this experience to presenting a new story about the crew of the Enterprise or any other Starfleet ship.

The Twilight Zone

After Jordan Peele’s recent but short-lived remake of The Twilight Zone, Paramount is now reportedly considering a new film in this groundbreaking anthology franchise. Severance director Ben Stiller is rumored to be involved, but the Duffer Brothers would be a perfect fit for the job if anything changes.

The Duffers have shown incredible skill at creating terror and suspense before unleashing some mind-blowing twists that would make Rod Serling proud. Even if Stiller is already working on a Twilight Zone movie, the Duffers could still sign up to work on their own segment for it, similar to the franchise’s 1983 anthology film.

Terminator

The Terminator franchise has had a rough time getting back on its feet after a recent slew of critical and commercial disappointments. While newer Terminator films have had such talented directors as McG, Alan Taylor, and Tim Miller, the Duffers could be the right people to jumpstart this long-lasting sci-fi franchise.

The duo has paid brilliant homage to the Terminator films in the past, with Stranger Things season 3 invoking Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic character through the Russian hitman Grigori. They even recruited Linda Hamilton to Stranger Things season 5’s cast, allowing them to directly collaborate with one of the franchise’s main stars.

Given their affinity for the 1980s, it’d come as no surprise if the Duffers were interested in taking on a new version of Terminator. James Cameron reportedly regained the rights in 2019 and has been developing his own film, so that could prevent this great match from happening.

Mission: Impossible

The Mission: Impossible film franchise, led by Tom Cruise, only just reached its conclusion with The Final Reckoning. While it remains to be seen what will come next for this series, Paramount won’t sit on it forever. If they want a new film in the next few years, the Duffer Brothers could be an intriguing choice to lead it.

The Stranger Things creators could reboot this iconic action franchise with a new actor playing the role of Ethan Hunt, akin to the James Bond films, or tell an entirely different story within the existing world. Fingers crossed that the Duffers would get Joe Keery for a new Mission: Impossible film.

World War Z

The Duffer Brothers could stay close to their horror roots with World War Z. Though there have been on-and-off discussions of a World War Z sequel being made over the years, Paramount and Skydance view a new entry as a priority following their merger. Whether that would be a straight sequel with Brad Pitt or a reboot remains unclear.

In either case, it would not be surprising if Paramount goes to the Duffers for help in bringing this IP back. They were the studio’s first big exclusive deal after the merger, and World War Z wasn’t thought to be a priority previously. The two moves, while separate, may ultimately lead to the Duffers reviving this horror sci-fi franchise.

The Stand

Though filmmaker Doug Liman has already been hired to helm a new movie adaptation of Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic novel, The Stand, the Duffers would arguably be better suited for the job. The duo has shown great love and understanding of King’s works through Stranger Things, which has invoked horror classics like Carrie, The Shining, It, and Firestarter.

The Duffers have also succeeded in crafting vast, layered narratives with intriguing character studies in Stranger Things. They are perfect for bringing a story like The Stand to life for Paramount. And considering the history of failed The Stand movie adaptations and Liman’s busy schedule, they could step in if needed.