Netflix To Unsanctioned ‘Stranger Things’ Bar: “Please Don’t Make Us Call Your Mom” Image courtesy of Emporium Chicago
Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery — or so they say — but that doesn’t mean that just anyone can go around using popular TV shows to make a few bucks. So although Netflix thinks a Stranger Things-themed pop-up bar in Chicago is fun, it’s insisting that the venue shut down after its planned six-week run.
In a cease-and-desist letter addressed to “The Upside Down” — a watering hole that pays homage to the terrifying, eerie alternate reality in Stranger Things, complete with drinks named after the characters — Netflix’s legal counsel nerded out with more than a few references to the ‘80s themed show.
“My walkie talkie is busted so I had to write this note instead,” the letter, published by DNAInfo, begins.
“But unless I’m living in the Upside Down, I don’t think we did a deal with you for this pop-up,” the missive continues. “You’re obviously creative types, so I’m sure you can appreciate that it’s important to us to have a say in how our fans encounter the worlds we build.”
Although Netflix’s legal team is not going to “go full Dr. Brenner” on the bar, they have a few requests: That the bar not extend the pop-up beyond its six-week run ending Oct. 1, and that they ask for permission next time they plan something similar.
“We love our fans more than anything, but you should know that the demorgoron is not always as forgiving,” the letter notes in closing. “So please don’t make us call your mom.”
The folks behind the pop-up — who also run the Emporium Arcade Bar nearby — sound a bit bummed about having to close eventually, as the season two premiere is scheduled for Oct. 27.
“If Netflix were OK with us running The Upside Down project through the season two premiere & the Halloween weekend we would most definitely have continued this incredible party a little bit longer!” the bar’s manager told DNAInfo in an email.
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