Netflix's New Jaws Meets Lovecraft Horror Series Is The Perfect Successor To 7-Season Franchise

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Josh Hartnett in Below

Published Sep 16, 2026, 2:35 PM EDT

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EXCLUSIVE: Netflix's new Jaws meets Lovecraft horror series is the perfect successor to its 7-season franchise, according to one of its stars.

Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster Jaws helped establish the blueprint for countless horror movies, particularly those featuring man-eating animals, many of them aquatic threats that flooded screens during the 1970s and 1980s. On the other hand, H.P. Lovecraft's legacy lives on through "Lovecraftian horror," a subgenre that finds terror in the unknown and incomprehensible rather than relying on gore or cheap shocks.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley for the series at the Toronto International Film Festival, Charlie Heaton discussed how Netflix's Below serves as the perfect successor to Stranger Things, saying that it should appeal to existing fans through shared genre elements, familiar themes, and subtle nods that connect the two shows naturally. Read his full comments below:

Clearly, I just can't get enough. Yeah, there are nods and themes that I think translate, and I think if you are a fan, it's genre, isn't it? So, if you're a fan, in some ways, it's [the same] genre. They marry each other quite well, I think.

Charlie Heaton played the quiet, protective teenager and aspiring photographer, Jonathan Byers, in all five seasons of Netflix's massively popular sci-fi series, Stranger Things, following a group of young friends in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, as they unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries and take on terrifying supernatural forces.

Stranger Things ran for five seasons, followed by two seasons of the animated spinoff, Stranger Things: Tales from '85.

Hawkins, Indiana · 1986 Which Stranger Things Character Are You? “Friends don’t lie.”

🧠 Eleven The Protector

📡 Mike The Leader

🤓 Dustin The Brain

🏂 Max The Fighter

🪧 Steve The Babysitter

ENTER THE UPSIDE DOWN →

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01

It’s Friday night in Hawkins. What are you doing?

ASetting up a radio tower in my room to pick up distant signals BRunning a D&D campaign in my basement — it’s been planned for weeks CWatching TV alone, eating Eggos — quiet is good DDriving the kids somewhere and pretending I don’t care ESkating at the rink with my headphones on, blocking out the world

← BACKNEXT →

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02

The lights start flickering and something growls in the dark. What’s your first instinct?

AStand my ground — I’ve faced worse than this BGrab a weapon and put myself between the danger and the kids CStay cool, assess the situation, figure out an escape route DStart theorizing what it could be while everyone else panics ERally the group — we’re stronger together, we need a plan NOW

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03

Your best friend is missing and nobody believes you. What do you do?

AComfort the group, keep morale up, and make sure nobody does anything stupid BGo looking alone — I don’t need anyone else to believe me CResearch everything — maps, records, science — find the pattern DChannel the anger into action — someone is going to answer for this EOrganize a search party, assign roles, lead from the front

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04

How would people at Hawkins High describe you?

AIntense and passionate — once I care about something, I go all in BThe funny one who’s smarter than people think CSurprisingly dependable — like, when did THAT happen? DQuiet, misunderstood — I don’t let many people in ETough as nails on the outside, but dealing with a lot underneath

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05

Someone at school is being bullied right in front of you. What do you do?

AGet in the bully’s face — I know what it’s like to feel powerless BStand up and say something, even if my voice shakes CStep in silently and stare them down — no words needed DBreak it up, tell the bully to grow up, and walk the kid to class EDefuse it with humor so nobody has to throw a punch

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06

You discover something impossible — a secret that could change everything. Who do you tell?

AEveryone. Immediately. This is too big to keep to myself! BNobody — I handle things on my own until I know who I can trust CMy inner circle only — the people who’ve proven themselves DWhoever needs to know to keep people safe — I’m practical about it EI’d keep it inside — I’m used to carrying things alone

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07

When things feel overwhelming and the world seems dark, how do you cope?

ATake care of other people — helping them helps me forget my own stuff BShut down, go quiet — retreat into myself until I’m ready CMusic. Loud music. It’s the only thing that drowns it out DWrite it down, talk it out — I need to process with people I trust EThrow myself into a project or problem — keep my brain busy

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08

When the Upside Down is finally closed and Hawkins is safe, what matters most to you?

ABelonging — finally having a place and people to call home BFreedom — being able to just be a normal kid for once CKnowing I kept everyone safe — even when I doubted myself DThe adventure — I mean, it was terrifying, but also kind of awesome? EThe bonds we made — nothing brings people together like fighting monsters

REVEAL MY CHARACTER →

Hawkins Lab Report Complete Your Stranger Things Alter Ego

🧠

Eleven

“I can save them. I’m the only one who can.” You’re quiet but powerful — and people underestimate you at their own risk. You didn’t have the easiest start in life, but that’s made you fiercely protective of the people you love. You don’t always have the words, but your actions speak volumes. When everyone else is running away from danger, you’re walking straight toward it. You carry more than anyone should, and you rarely ask for help — but you’re learning that vulnerability isn’t weakness.

Powerful Protective Resilient Empathetic

📡

Mike Wheeler

“We never would have upset you if we knew you had superpowers.” You’re the natural leader of your group — not because you’re the loudest or the strongest, but because you genuinely care. You’re passionate, sometimes to a fault, and when you believe in something (or someone), you go all in. You hold your friends to high standards because you hold yourself to the same. People might see you as intense, but that intensity is born from love. You’d go to the Upside Down and back for the people in your life.

Passionate Loyal Determined Emotional

🤓

Dustin Henderson

“I am on a curiosity voyage, and I need my paddles to travel.” You’re the glue that holds everything together, even if nobody realizes it. Your brain never stops working — you see connections other people miss, and you’re not afraid to geek out about it. Sure, people might laugh at your enthusiasm, but you don’t care because you know who you are. You bring heart and humor to every situation, and when things get dark, you’re the one who reminds everyone that there’s still something worth fighting for.

Brilliant Optimistic Authentic Heart

🏂

Max Mayfield

“I’m not afraid of you.” You’re tough — not because you want to be, but because life made you that way. You’ve built walls higher than Castle Byers, and you don’t let just anyone past them. But beneath that armor is someone who feels everything deeply and fights harder than anyone for the people she loves. You cope through independence and sometimes push people away when you need them most. But when you finally let someone in? That bond is unbreakable.

Fierce Independent Brave Complex

🪧

Steve Harrington

“How many times do I have to save you people?” You’re the unlikely hero — the person nobody expected to step up, least of all yourself. You started out focused on your hair and your reputation, but when it mattered, you discovered something more important: protecting the people who need you. You’re brave, selfless, and way more capable than you give yourself credit for. You might downplay your role with a joke, but everyone knows: when the Demogorgon shows up, you’re the one grabbing the nail bat.

Selfless Brave Loyal Underestimated

↻ PLAY AGAIN

Now, Charlie Heaton is back on Netflix and in a town with a mysterious creature at its center. Below stars Josh Hartnett as Calvin Penney, a fisherman in a remote Newfoundland town terrorized by a mysterious sea creature. Heaton plays Calvin's son, Wade Penney, whom he is determined to keep safe, along with the rest of his fractured family.

The show's cast also includes Mackenzie Davis, Natasha Henstridge, Joshua Close, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean, Ruby Stokes, Kaleb Horn, and Mary Walsh. It was created by Jesse McKeown (The Umbrella Academy), written by Karen Walton (Orphan Black), Perry Chafe, and Natty Zavitz, and directed by Jamie Childs (The Sandman), Helen Shaver, and Stephen Dunn.

Below has one review on Rotten Tomatoes from Andrew Webster of The Verge, who writes, "Below is also surprisingly authentic and funny; anyone who has been to the East Coast will feel right at home when they see a bucket of salt beef or the dreaded screech."

For fans still missing Stranger Things, Below could be their next fix. It appears to have all the eerie mysteries, genre thrills, and close-knit characters that made Netflix's hit such a phenomenon, while also bringing something distinctly its own to the table. With a monster lurking beneath the surface, Below looks ready to fill that supernatural-shaped hole for Netflix subscribers.

Below premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on October 8.

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Release Date October 8, 2026

Network Netflix

Showrunner Jesse McKeown

Cast

  • Headshot Of Josh Hartnett In The 77th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs)
  • Headshot Of Mackenzie Davis

    Mackenzie Davis

    Fonda Howander

  • Headshot Of Charlie Heaton
  • Headshot of Rohan Campbell

    Rohan Campbell

    Jay Penney

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