Image courtesy of Everett Collection
By
Cathal Gunning
Published Mar 1, 2026, 9:00 PM EST
Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020.
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Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
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Although Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen doesn’t look anything like Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers’ next Netflix project does seem more promising with every new bit of news. No matter how readers feel about the ending of Stranger Things, one reality is utterly unavoidable. For better or worse, the show was one of Netflix’s biggest properties.
As such, the scramble to find the best Stranger Things replacement has inevitably been taking place since the series wrapped up its nine-year run on January 1, 2026. Netflix has even announced an animated spinoff, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, and, between starring the same man characters and taking place between seasons, this sounds a lot like a direct follow-up.
To be fair to Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, the series isn’t a direct sequel or prequel, since the show’s story takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of the original show. That said, this does still prove that Netflix is eager to keep the franchise alive and willing to keep returning to the same characters and the same setting to do so.
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen Is The Duffer Brothers’ First Major Post-Stranger Things Series
With this in mind, all eyes are on the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, to see where they go next. Development on their long-discussed Stephen King adaptation, The Talisman, was officially canceled after Stranger Things ended, and their next sci-fi series, The Boroughs, won’t arrive for some time.
However, the Duffer Brothers have another Netflix series in the works, and it is a promising psychological horror that comes out in only a few weeks. Created by showrunner Haley Z Boston, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen follows a couple, Camila Morrone’s Rachel and Adam Di Marco’s Nicky, in the week leading up to their wedding.
However, anyone hoping for a light-hearted rom-com will be disappointed by this upcoming Netflix release. As the title implies, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is a dread-inducing psychological thriller, and it is one that refuses to give away much of its story before the show arrives.
Boston is best known for her work on Netflix’s underrated horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor and the superb anthology horror show Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities, but she’s not alone in telling the story of this series. The Duffer Brothers executive produce Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen, while the rest of the show’s creative roster is equally illustrious.
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen’s Cast and Director Are Both Great
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, horror legend Ted Levine, and The White Lotus’ Adam DiMarco, with Daisy Jones and the Six’s Emmy-nominated breakout star Camila Morrone playing the lead role. Judging by the teaser trailer, Morrone’s Rachel is the show’s main POV character.
This is likely to be a crucial role, since most psychological thriller shows make a point of centering on one character’s perspective and leaving the viewer questioning how reliable they are as a narrator. In the trailer alone, someone can be seen cutting a cake that is iced with the phrase “I’m sorry, I thought you were going to kill me.”
This bizarre, darkly comedic visual warns viewers that Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen has the potential to descend into unsettling surrealism, using the POV of its unreliable narrator to terrify viewers. One episode was written by Stranger Things: The First Shadow playwright Kate Trefry, whose 2019 short film How To Be Alone took on similar themes.
However, it is the show’s main director who truly warns viewers that this will be an intense psychological thrill ride. Director Weronika Tofilska is best known for directing four episodes of the Stephen King-approved psychological thriller Baby Reindeer, which proved to be a massive breakout hit upon its original release back in 2024.
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen’s Trailer Looks Terrifying
Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen’s director ensures that the show will almost certainly be a deeply creepy affair that abandons the warm-hearted nostalgia of Stranger Things in favor of something stranger and more unsettling. Already, there are shades of Smile and I’m Thinking of Ending Things in the teaser trailer.
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Want deeper takes and scene-by-scene analysis of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen and other Duffer Brothers/Netflix projects? Subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive coverage, context, and expert breakdowns that expand what you just read. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Furthermore, moments like the bizarre revelation of the cake provide just enough pitch-black humor to ensure that the show still looks fun. Ideally, the creators of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen could balance the show’s dark psychological thriller story with the mainstream appeal that made Stranger Things such a huge hit.
It is hard to see how the styles of Baby Reindeer and Stranger Things would mesh together, but Trefry’s script for Fear Street Part Three: 1666 was a great example of the streaming service managing to balance mainstream appeal with genuinely creepy horror. As such, the show could be one of the year’s best.
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Posts By Cathal GunningWhatever the case, Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen is a daring first project for the Duffer Brothers after the Stranger Things finale, and one that is undeniably exciting. When Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen arrives on Netflix, the series will represent an exciting new chapter for the screen careers of the Stranger Things creators.
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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
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Want deeper takes and scene-by-scene analysis of Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen and other Duffer Brothers/Netflix projects? Subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive coverage, context, and expert breakdowns that expand what you just read. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. Trending Now
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