It's been nearly two years since we last saw the kids from Hawkins, Indiana up to their crazy shenanigans. After an explosive Season 3 finale that involved an epic battle with a giant monster at Starcourt Mall, fans of the sci-fi series were left itching to see what could possibly come next. On September 30, 2019, Netflix confirmed that Stranger Things would be renewed for a fourth season as part of a multi-year deal with the Duffer brothers; however, the production and release date of the next installment was ultimately pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, we finally have an update on the project - new photos of the Stranger Things Season 4 set have emerged online, giving fans a first look at the new Upside Down. An '80s-themed trailer park in Griffin, Georgia was pictured being taken over by thick tendrils representing the dark, alternate dimension that has been infiltrating the fictional midwestern town since the very beginning of the series.
One particular photo shows a tendril-covered sign that reads "Forest Hills Trailer Park," which could be the name of the neighborhood where the evil will originate next. Close-ups of the tendrils also reveal a black and red tar-like texture with creepy webbing that lends a much-needed horror feel to the set. The photos appear to echo a caption that appeared in a previous announcement video for the fourth season, which read: "We're not in Hawkins anymore." While several theories suggested that the story could relocate to somewhere in Russia, where David Harbour's Chief Hopper is believed to be held captive, the photos confirm that Stranger Things season 4 will still tie back to Hawkins, Indiana in some way.
While plot details are still hazy, it has been confirmed that Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund will be coming to the series as a murderer being kept in a psychiatric hospital. He will be joined by Jamie Campbell Bower of Sweeney Todd, who will reportedly play a member of the hospital's staff.
According to previous reports, the script for Stranger Things season 4 was finalized back in June of last year. The series had reportedly been two episodes into filming before it was delayed in March, but production resumed later in the year at the end of September. The most recent development we have came when Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo confirmed that they had started filming the season's eighth and final episode in October. Currently, season 4 is rumored to release sometime in August 2021.
Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy has noted that despite the setback, Stranger Things season 4 benefited from the pandemic because the writers were able to complete and revise the screenplays before the season completed filming, which hadn't happened before. With Finn Wolfhard adding that the next season is going to be the darkest one yet, Stranger Things is sure to take the world by storm once again.
Stranger Things season 4 is currently in production.
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