A new teaser for Stranger Things season 3 appears to hint that the release of a full trailer is imminent. Among the seemingly countless titles that make up Netflix’s library of original content, only a few can be classified as true blockbusters, the Duffer brothers’ ode to the ‘80s, sci-fi, and all things Amblin being chief among them. Since its debut in 2016, the science fiction/horror series has captured the collective imaginations of Netflix subscribers like few shows in the streaming giant’s arsenal have, making the delay between seasons 2 and 3 a tough beat for die-hards, while at the same time building the sort of anticipation normally reserved for huge theatrical releases or the final season of a certain show called Game of Thrones.
Netflix is plainly aware what a unique and valuable commodity Stranger Things is, as evidenced by how the seasons aren’t really called season 2 or 3, but rather, Stranger Things 2 and Stranger Things 3. It’s the blockbusterization of TV at its simplest and perhaps most effective. After all, the series doesn’t seem to age like other television shows — instead it just seems to grow in size and scale, returning each time with bigger (and hopefully better) storytelling ambitions than the last. And given how much time has passed since season 2 debuted just days before Halloween 2017, it’s safe to say anticipation for season 3 is reaching its peak.
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That doesn’t mean Netflix is necessarily playing fair when it comes to teasing out its marketing for the new season. As evidenced by the new teaser, the streamer is more or less toying with fans, giving them seven seconds of rats scurrying away (or toward) something, with an ominous statement of “It’s almost feeding time,” followed by an upside down smiley face. Check out the teaser below:
As far as teasers go, this one is about as vague as you can get, even with a series that’s as notoriously protective of its secrets as this one. But being vague is part of the appeal in the build up to a new season. While rats running into a warehouse isn’t as cheeky or revealing as, say, the faux ad for a new mall in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, that’s probably by design. After all, the teaser doesn’t seem to be marketing the new season so much as it’s marketing the coming marketing for the new season.
So does this mean fans can expect a full trailer for Stranger Things season 3 sometime soon? It’s a good bet that one will be coming sooner rather than later. There’s been little in the way of actual promotion for the show so far, and with the summer premiere just a few months away, it’s high time the wheels of the great Netflix Marketing Machine start turning.
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Stranger Things season 3 will premiere Thursday, July 4 on Netflix.