Stranger Things plot actually has disturbing real life inspiration behind it

Fans of Stranger Things are still in mourning after the show came to an end once and for all on New Year's Eve - but did you know it was not completely fictional?

I know what you're thinking, demogorgans obviously aren't real and neither is the Upside Down, but the story was actually inspired by a real-life conspiracy.

The beloved Netflix sci-fi show went out with a bang on Wednesday (31 December), airing an epic two hour finale to bring the story to a close after five seasons set in the fictional town of Hawkins.

Don't worry though if you haven't got around to watching it yet - this article will be completely spoiler-free.

The conspiracy in question is that of the Montauk project, which claims there were a series of United States government projects conducted at somewhere called Camp Hero, or Montauk Air Force Station in Montauk, New York, for the purpose of developing psychological warfare techniques and exotic research such as time travel - sound familiar?

Did you know that Stranger Things was inspired by a real life conspiracy theory? (Netflix)

Stories about the eerie project have circulated since the early 1980s and believers think Camp Hero’s Cold War radar tower hid underground labs 'where kidnapped children were turned into mind-controlled soldiers,' according to RoadTrippers.

The legend was fuelled by Preston Nichols’ 1992 book The Montauk Project: Experiments in Time, before it eventually inspired the Duffer brothers to create Stranger Things.

According to the publication, despite officials insisting nothing is hidden, explorers have allegedly found 'sealed tunnels, odd documents, and eerie graffiti'.

In fact, Stranger Things is so heavily inspired that it was originally supposed to be called Montauk.

David Harbour, who plays Hopper, told Seth Myers back in 2019: "The script was amazing but it was originally called Montauk. I thought that was such a good title, like really strong and simple, like one word.

"It was set in Montauk and then they changed it to be set in the Midwest, so they needed to change the title."

He added: "They called me and they were like, 'We're calling it Stranger Things.' And I was like, 'That's the worst title I've ever heard.'"

The show was originally supposed to be named after the conspiracy (Getty Stock Image)

In the same year, the Duffer brothers, who created, directed, and executively produced the programme, explained to The Hollywood Reporter why they decided to ditch the name.

Matt explained that it was 'more practical than anything' as it was 'really going to be impossible to shoot in or around Long Island in the wintertime'.

Atlanta, where they filmed the show however, reminded him of my his childhood and they eventually came up with the town name of Hawkins.

"It takes a long time to make a change like that, for your brain to accept it, to accept a new title and to accept a new name for a town," he said.

While Ross added: " It was us wanting to create our own fictional town, because if you have Castle Rock or whatever, it allowed us, if this goes forward, to do stuff in this town that maybe we would feel strange doing if it was a real place.

"Like, you can quarantine it, I’m just spit-balling, but I’m saying we can do stuff that didn’t happen in real life because it’s this little fictional world that we’ve made up. That excited us as well."

There's even a cheeky reference to the show's original title in the finale as the town Montauk is mentioned by Hopper - and fans think it could be laying the ground work for a spin-off.