NETFLIX ORDERS "PRANK ENCOUNTERS," HIDDEN-CAMERA PRANK SHOW HOSTED BY GATEN MATARAZZO

-- Propagate Produced Series Launches Later This Year --

Netflix has ordered Prank Encounters, an epic hidden-camera prank show hosted by Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things). Each episode of this terrifying and hilarious prank show takes two complete strangers who each think they're starting their first day at a new job. It's business as usual until their paths collide and these part-time jobs turn into full-time nightmares.

Prank Encounters launches later this year.

Episodes: 8

Executive Producers: Gaten Matarazzo; Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, and Kevin Healey for Propagate; Rob Hyde (Terrence Howard's Fright Club, Troy)

Director: Anthony Gonzalez (Dance Moms, Undercover Boss)

Production Company: Propagate

Gaten Matarazzo Bio

Known for his memorable portrayal of Dustin on the fan favorite Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo has solidified his place as a breakthrough actor of his generation. Recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top 30 stars under the age of 30, Matarazzo began his professional career in the original Broadway production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert as Benji. He also appeared as part of the Godspell cast of 2013 and then drew rave reviews as Gavroche in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables. Recently announced, Matarazzo will return to theater and lead the star studded cast in Hollywood Bowl's summer production of 'Into the Woods' this July. When he is not filming, the 16-year-old devotes his time to raising awareness about cleidocranial dysplasia - a condition that a?ects the development of bones and teeth. With the help of a Utah-based doctor, Matarazzo launched - CCD Smiles - a Foundation built to help families pay their children's dental bills. He recently visited Capitol Hill to speak in favor of a new piece of legislation called the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA). This bipartisan legislation will provide insurance coverage to individuals born with congenital abnormalities or birth defects. Matarazzo also formed a six-piece band called Work In Progress, and will travel the country on tour this summer delivering enthusiastic performances with their covers and originals. The band also consists of his musically precocious siblings - Carmen on the drums and Sabrina as a vocalist. The band takes inspiration from every decade since the '60s, drawing from classic rock, metal, alternative, and emo.

About Propagate

Propagate founders Ben Silverman and Howard Owens met at William Morris in the late 1990s. Silverman had pioneered the global format business by packaging and bringing to America a stream of hits including "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?," "Big Brother" and "Queer As Folk." Silverman and Owens founded Reveille in 2002 with the mission to build an independent American alternative studio based on the concept of creating and producing culture-defining television. With hits like "The Office," "The Tudors," "Ugly Betty," "MasterChef" and many others, Reveille became the gold standard of American independent television studios. Silverman and Owens founded Propagate in 2015 as an independent content studio inspired to create and influence culture. With offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, and others soon to be announced, Propagate is one of the world's fastest-growing independent premium content creation companies. Its emerging portfolio includes "November 13: Attack on Paris" for Netflix, "Lore" for Amazon, "Charmed" for the CW, "Haunted" for Netflix, "In Search Of" for the History Channel and "Planet of the Apps" for Apple, with more on the way.

About Netflix

Netflix is the world's leading internet entertainment service with 139 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.