The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on Stranger Things, as it did on so many TV series and feature films this year, but a tentative date has now been announced for the popular Netflix show to resume shooting its fourth season.
The Hollywood Reporter said the show’s cast was told that Sept. 17 is the probable date for production to start again in Atlanta, Ga. The crew reportedly had shot two weeks of the upcoming Season 4 before the forced shutdown.
While this is good news for the show’s many fans, they are still left up in the air about the long-term future of the series. The upcoming season–which does not have a debut date as of this writing–may be the last. Or it may not. Producer Shawn Levy has indicated that there may be room for another go-round, but nothing has been set in stone.
Additionally, according to tvguide.com, the episode count for the next season is unclear right now. It was reported that Season 4–like Seasons 1 and 3–would have eight episodes, but an image of the season’s scripts shared by the writers hints at nine episodes. So, stay tuned.
Also, the horror card will be played more strongly in Season 4, as revealed by creators Matt and Ross Duffer. It looks like the people of Hawkins, Ind. will soon face a dire threat, described as “a new horror beginning to surface–something long buried, something that connects everything.”
The Duffer Brothers also said the upcoming season will feature a different vibe than Season 3. “We’re pretty excited about where it’s potentially going to go,” Ross Duffer said. “It’s going to feel very different from last season. But, I think that’s the right thing to do, and I think it’ll be exciting.”
In that vein, it also was reported that Joel Stoffer–who portrays the Chronicom Enoch on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.-will join the cast for Season 4. “I’ve got a role that we haven’t shot yet,” he said. “I don’t expect it to become anything long-term. I’ll go to Georgia, to Atlanta, and shoot it when they get back up and running.”
Stoffer will join other returning cast members, including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard and Millie Bobby Brown.
The first three seasons of the show–which follows the trials of the residents of Hawkins, Ind. as they deal with the supernatural threat presented by the alternate dimension known as The Upside Down–is now available on Netflix.
Keep reading Horror News Network for any updates on Season 4 of Stranger Things.
