The Stranger Things Cast Auditioned By Reading Lines From A Classic Stephen King Movie

"Stranger Things" is a thrilling mix of science fiction and horror, but it's a friendship story at its core. Season 1 (which is arguably the best) begins with Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo), and Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) racing to save their friend, Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), after he disappears. Things get complicated when they run into a girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who helps them realize that Will's disappearance may be connected to the goings on at Hawkins National Laboratory. This adventure is only fit for best friends who know how to lean on each other, and it's a premise that will transport viewers back to 1986's "Stand by Me." 

The film based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" follows four 12-year-old boys as they search for the body of a missing child. Like "Stranger Things," it relies on emotional dynamics and friendly chemistry to keep the story moving. Setting "Stand by Me" in the late 1950s also offers a nostalgia that allows viewers to revisit childhood memories that create a sense of comfort as danger lurks, something the 1980s-based "Stranger Things" also benefits from. Given the similarities, the show's co-creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, asked the boys who were auditioning for "Stranger Things" to read lines from the film, which helped them find actors capable of authentic performances.

The Duffer brothers give some clear nods to "Stand by Me" in Season 1 of "Stranger Things." The train track walks will spark nostalgia for many as both groups take on tasks that the adults just can't seem to handle. Yes, the grown-ups play a bigger role in "Stranger Things," but it's the kids who dive head first into the Upside Down to get things done. Season 1's "Chapter Three: Holly, Jolly" offers another big moment for "Stand by Me" fans as Will Byers' body is pulled from a lake, and Wil Wheaton (who starred as Gordie Lachance) has noted one key similarity between the iconic '80s film and the Netflix series.

When "Stand By Me" came out, Wheaton and his young co-stars were not household names. Yes, Corey Feldman (Teddy Duchamp) was known for his role in "The Goonies," but it was "Stand By Me" that cemented his status as a child star. He and his co-stars were suddenly well-known in Tinseltown and around the world, and this is another thing that "Stand By Me" and "Stranger Things" have in common according to Wheaton. "We get to see actors who we've never seen before just become these roles. We can embrace the characters and they become real the same way the characters in 'Stand by Me' did for our generation," he told The Wrap, adding that director Rob Reiner and the Duffer brothers had similar approaches to casting. 

Wheaton said that he's honored that "Stand by Me" influenced "Stranger Things," and Stephen King has also shared his love for the Netflix series. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Duffer brothers revealed that they've actually exchanged emails with King, proving just how much they admire each other's work. "It still blows my mind because growing up he was such an inspiration — he's like a god to us, and so, it's been surreal just communicating with him at all," Ross Duffer said.