Noah Schnapp and Jamie Campbell Bower have jokingly called out Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer for leaving their text messages unanswered. The Upside Down may be closed for business, but the drama clearly did not get the memo. Safe to say, this particular behind-the-scenes story did not need the Duffers' approval to go viral.

While the Duffer Brothers built one of television's biggest universes, Schnapp and Bower were apparently left on read.

At the Stranger Things Netflix For Your Consideration event, Noah Schnapp and Jamie Campbell Bower openly admitted that their texts to the Duffer Brothers went unanswered throughout the making of the final season. Schnapp, who has played Will Byers since childhood, explained that he grew more confident pitching ideas as the show progressed and began sending the creators videos and suggestions regularly. Executive producer Shawn Levy stepped in to insist the brothers read every message, but Schnapp was unconvinced.

"The Duffers can speak to how many texts I've sent them that went unanswered of ideas and pitches for this and that," Schnapp said.

Jamie Campbell Bower then added, "Again, like Noah, I sent a load of text messages that didn't get answered. But the boys are very sweet because they just let me kind of ramble and then we'd come back to it later," suggesting the Duffers had their own unique way of staying collaborative.

The Netflix FYC event took place on May 21, 2026, at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, bringing together the Stranger Things cast and crew for one final victory lap. These events exist to place a series in front of Emmy voters before nominations open, and Season 5 gave the panel plenty of material to celebrate. Schnapp and Bower were joined by David Harbour, Natalia Dyer, the Duffer Brothers, and Shawn Levy for an evening that looked back on the show's entire decade-long run.

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As the cast reflected on the final season, the evening delivered another milestone entirely separate from the Emmy push.

The same FYC event also served as the stage for a far more permanent announcement: Eleven's iconic pink dress from Season 1 is entering the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Smithsonian entertainment curator Ryan Lintelman made the announcement on the night, confirming that the costume designed by Kimberly Adams and Malgosia Turzanska would join the institution's permanent national collection. Stranger Things became the first Netflix original to earn this distinction, cementing its place not just in pop culture but in recorded American history.

The dress became one of the most replicated Halloween costumes of 2016, directly launching the franchise's consumer-products empire, spanning toys, games, live experiences, and clothing. Lintelman noted that the costume embodies the show's belief that ordinary people drive change and young people see what adults cannot. The Stranger Things universe itself continues expanding through an animated series and a live-action spinoff in development, ensuring the Duffer Brothers remain very much reachable, even if the read receipts suggest otherwise.

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What are your thoughts on the Stranger Things cast joking about being ignored by the Duffer Brothers? Let us know in the comments.