The Duffer Brothers Tap Josh Stern As President Of Upside Down Pictures

Matt and Ross Duffer have appointed Josh Stern as president of Upside Down Pictures, the production company under their exclusive deal with Paramount. 

“We are beyond thrilled that Josh is joining us at Upside Down,” said Matt and Ross Duffer. “Not five minutes into our first meeting, we knew we had found the perfect partner to help lead our company — Josh has impeccable taste, a track record that speaks for itself, and a shared ambition to bring bold new stories to both film and television. It’s going to be a busy few years, and we can’t wait to share with you what’s coming…” 

Under their four-year overall deal at Paramount that began in April, the Duffers will develop projects across film, TV and direct-to-consumer through Upside Down. 

“Ten years ago, Matt and Ross Duffer made a show that felt both wholly original and deeply nostalgic, and came to define an entire era of streaming,” said Stern of the brothers’ Stranger Things. “I’m honored to be partnering with these visionary filmmakers, and with Dana, Josh, Cindy, Matt, Jane, Don, and the amazing team at Paramount. As we begin this exciting new chapter of Upside Down Pictures, we’re eager to collaborate with world-class filmmakers on boldly imaginative and wildly entertaining movies and television series that seize on the power of genre yet are deeply grounded in authentic emotion and character. I’m thrilled to be joining the team and for this chance to tell stories that will connect with audiences around the globe.”

Prior to joining Upside Down Pictures, Josh Stern was EVP Television for Peter Chernin’s North Road, and he executive produced Quinn Shephard’s upcoming drama series The Body, premiering in November on Netflix.

“I’m grateful to Peter, Scott, Amy, and the entire North Road and Mediawan team for the extraordinary experience of working together and for their support as I take this next step,” he said.

Prior to North Road, Stern was the New York City-based creative lead at wiip, where he developed the upcoming Apple TV series The Off Weeks, created by Alissa Nutting and starring Ben Stiller and Jessica Chastain; and Safe Houses, created by Gideon Raff and starring Ana de Armas and Jennifer Connelly. Stern also executive produced the Peabody-winning series Dickinson, created by Alena Smith, one of Apple TV’s first original series. He was also Director of Development at Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa, where he oversaw development of Aronofsky’s films The Whale and Mother!, on which he was an executive producer, and also developed and executive produced Pablo Larraín’s Jackie and Tobias Lindholm’s The Good Nurse. 

“The Duffers have redefined what it means to build immersive, genre-defining universes for audiences everywhere, and our expansive partnership with them across film, television and streaming marks the start of a new creative era for Paramount,” said Matt Thunell, President of Paramount Television Studios and Don Granger, President of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, “Josh’s remarkable track record collaborating with some of the most visionary artists working today makes him the ideal partner to help elevate and execute the Duffers’ boldest ambitions. We couldn’t be more excited to work closely with him in his new role at Upside Down Pictures.”