A Comprehensive Guide to Netflix's 'Fear Street' Film Franchise

Netflix’s Fear Street franchise is far from over and Us is ready for more spooky stories.

The streamer acquired the movies, which are based on R. L. Stine‘s book series of the same name, after they were already shot back-to-back. Fear Street was originally meant to be released in theaters one month apart to draw out the anticipation, but Netflix ultimately rolled out the films throughout July 2021.

Fear Street kicked off with 1994, which followed a group of friends who take on an evil force that has plagued their notorious town for centuries. The first installment set the scene, which allowed 1978 and 1666 to tell the backstory about how Shadyside’s brutal slayings came to be.

Viewers were in for a surprise, though, when director Leigh Janiak chose to feature the same actors in each movie as they played different characters from various time periods. The cast was also intriguing because of the unexpected connection to Netflix’s hit series Stranger Things.

The show’s stars Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke both had key roles in the Fear Street franchise. Behind the scenes, Janiak has been married to Stranger Things creator Ross Duffer since 2015 after they met nearly a decade prior.

“It’s great to be partnered with someone who understands the challenges of what it means to be helming a giant production. We’ve been supporting each other a long time. We’ve been together since 2009 and were married in 2015, and it’s been very much a good, creative partnership,” Janiak told Rue Morgue in July 2021. “We give very honest feedback on one another’s stuff, maybe sometimes to the point of detriment. But I know that if I write something and he likes it, I’ve earned it, and vice versa.”

Janiak discussed how the Fear Street and Stranger Things cast overlapped, adding, “There were a few people I read for Fear Street who weren’t quite right for my roles and ended up getting parts in the next season of Stranger Things.”

Keep scrolling for a guide to the Fear Street franchise: