Netflix has officially confirmed that Stranger Things season 4 is happening, and released a teaser that hints at new locations outside of Hawkins. Season 3 began streaming on Netflix earlier this year and ended with the show's main characters going their separate ways, so it only makes sense for the next chapter to explore what life is like outside of the bizarre happenings in small-town Indiana.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Netflix's Stranger Things draws inspiration from Stephen Spielberg, John Carpenter, and Stephen King's work from the 1980s in order to craft its own story about the sudden disappearance of a boy from the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and his connection to a mysterious girl who possesses incredible telekinetic abilities. The show's first season was an unexpected hit when it launched in 2016, and the series has only continued to grow in popularity and scope over the additional two seasons that've been produced since then.
As such, it comes as no surprise to learn that Netflix has now officially picked up Stranger Things for a fourth season. The announcement was made in honor of a new multi-year deal that the Duffers have closed to develop original content for Netflix, beginning with Stranger Things 4. You can read the Duffers' statement below, then check out the season 4 teaser video.
“We are absolutely thrilled to continue our relationship with Netflix. Ted Sarandos, Cindy Holland, Brian Wright, and Matt Thunell took a huge chance on us and our show - and forever changed our lives. From our first pitch meeting to the release of Stranger Things 3, the entire team at Netflix has been nothing short of sensational, providing us with the kind of support, guidance, and creative freedom we always dreamed about. We can’t wait to tell many more stories together - beginning, of course, with a return trip to Hawkins!”
As mentioned, Stranger Things season 3 ended with multiple goodbyes - ranging from Jim Hopper sacrificing his own life to save the day (though the season's post-credits scene suggests he's still alive) to Joyce Byers leaving Hawkins with her two sons, Will and Jonathan, along with Hopper's surrogate daughter Eleven. And speaking of Eleven: she ended up bidding farewell to her powers during the season's climactic showdown with The Mind Flayer at Starcourt Mall, though it's unclear whether they're gone for good or simply out of the picture for the time being. She could probably use them back, though; the Russians are still conducting experiments with the Upside-Down, and it's only a matter of time before The Mind Flayer finds a way back into our world (as the season 4 teaser not so subtly suggests).
For now, fans will just have to sit tight and wait to see where season 4 takes them (quite literally, now that several of the show's characters no longer live in Hawkins). That could be a while now, though. The breaks between seasons of Stranger Things have only gotten longer as the series has grown in scale and budget, resulting in a nearly two-year gap between seasons 2 and 3. Season 4 isn't expected to arrive until late 2020 or early-mid 2021 for the same reason - though, thankfully, there's plenty to theorize about until then.
Stranger Things season 4 doesn't have a premiere date yet.
Source: Netflix