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While it’s unclear how the story of Stranger Things season 5 will reference Stephen King, the involvement of acclaimed director and writer Frank Darabont is the perfect connection to King for the show’s final outing. Darabont is returning to directing after a 12-year-long hiatus to helm episodes 3 and 5 of Stranger Things season 5, “The Turnbow Trap” and “Shock Jock,” respectively. Darabont’s connection to King is clear, as he has adapted and directed three of King’s stories for the big-screen, and even brought one of King’s short stories to life as his own directorial debut back in 1983.
Among the best references to Stephen King in Stranger Things are the similarities between the main cast and the Losers Club in 1986’s It, Lucas reading 1984’s The Talisman to a comatose Max in season 4, Eleven’s struggle with her powers bearing similarities to 1974’s Carrie, and many more. Even the font used for Stranger Things’ title card is practically the same as the font used on many of King’s novels. It’s hard to escape these references, and the fact that Frank Darabont seems to be a Stephen King aficionado creates the strongest connection for Stranger Things season 5.
Why Frank Darabont is So Good For Stranger Things
As a world-renowned filmmaker in the horror genre, Frank Darabont has created, written, and directed projects such as The Walking Dead, Tales from the Crypt, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and more. Darabont is perhaps best known for his Stephen King adaptations, however. He started his directing career by adapting King’s The Woman in the Room short story from 1978 into a short film. He then delivered the iconic theatrical adaptations of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, and even had a cameo appearance in 1997’s three-part The Shining TV miniseries.
