After nearly three years, Stranger Things fans are in for a treat as the popular sci-fi horror drama is finally continuing the story on its upcoming fourth season.
In a virtual press conference via Zoom on May 13, the main cast of Stranger Things talked about the show’s fourth season, what to expect this season and the struggles of filming the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where the fourth season starts
In a press release containing the synopsis of the upcoming season, it has been confirmed that Stranger Things season 4 picks up about six months after the battle of Starcourt, which was the thrilling ending for the previous season. At the press conference, Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) said that Stranger Things season 4 will “definitely [be] darker and scarier.”
As for how the gang has been faring in the six months after Starcourt, Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) talked about the struggles of fitting in as the kids start high school. After the battle of Starcourt, the gang had split up, so with the separation anxiety, the pressure of fitting in as they start high school, combined with having to cope with everything that has happened, it’s looking pretty bleak for the kids.
“I think primarily what we’re going through – especially the kids – we’re starting high school without a good chunk of our friend group, we miss them very much obviously, it’s also a very transitional time for us. And not only are we struggling with dealing with regular things like fitting in in a new social climate, but also trying to cope with everything that has gone on in the past six months and especially now because the town knows that something is up, in a way,” Matarazzo said at the press conference.
The Stranger Things gang over the years
The cast of Stranger Things has been filming together for years, and the kids practically grew up in front of the camera. At the press conference, the cast reminisces on their earlier shooting days, when the kids were still very young.
Charlie Heaton and Noah Schnapp, who portray the Byers brothers in the show, shared that they have formed a brotherly bond in the years that they’ve been filming the series together. “I love filming with Charlie. He’s a great brotherly figure to have, and I do look up to him off-set as well so it’s nice to be able to film with him,” Schnapp said. Heaton shared that watching Schnapp grow up made him protective of the young actor. “Having seen him grown-up, there is that protection like, ‘Aw, he’s my brother, man, I’ve got to teach him some games.’”
Character-wise, the kids of the gang have been through a lot these past three seasons – they’re no strangers (heh, get it?) to the dangers of the Upside Down. For Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), she feels that the characters have evolved “a lot” over the seasons, as well as in the upcoming season from the last one.
“Relationships have evolved a lot and everybody gets to know each other better and their selves better along the way, and I think the group as a whole and the complete cast [is] such an unbelievable ensemble of comedians and drama, and it’s such a special environment,” Hawke shared. “Everyone changes a lot and I think this season especially is really starting to bring it in because I think we’re near or approaching the beginning of the end. We’re approaching this sort of feeling of everyone changing and becoming the person they’re gonna be.”
For Natalia Dyer, her character Nancy Wheeler has grown on her over the years of portraying her on the show. “Now that I’ve filmed for four seasons, she feels natural to me now,” she said. For her, Nancy from season 1 shares some similarities with Dyer herself when she was in high school. “She goes through some crazy things so I think it’s sort of a natural progression of who she is and it’s really fun to sort of find out what her values are and see how they’re challenged,” Dyer said.
For Priah Ferguson, she feels that Lucas’ little sister Erica has also grown over the seasons of the show and has also officially found her place in the gang. While Erica is younger than the rest of the gang, she fits in just fine and is starting to let her personality shine through. Quick-witted, resourceful, and good at math (a “STEM girl,” Priah joked), Erica has already proven herself to be a very valuable member of the team, though when asked Priah admitted that it “would be really cool” to star in a spin-off of the show based on Erica Sinclair.
New season, new faces
While the cast of Stranger Things has indeed grown a lot over the years, it seems that their friend group will also be growing as well. In season 4, we’ll be meeting at least two new characters in the show – Eddie Munson (portrayed by Joseph Quinn) and Argyle (portrayed by Eduardo Franco).
Four seasons into the show, the Duffer brothers are introducing the gang to new faces. The cast members have grown to be close friends over years of filming the show together, but newcomer Joseph Quinn wasn’t always nervous about joining the cast. “It was daunting, you know, coming into something as beloved as this. But my anxieties were quickly soothed by my lovely cast members,” he said.
Quinn shared an idea of what his character Eddie is like, saying that Eddie is “kind of a cayenne pepper” in the “broth” of the characters. “[My character] is chaotic, he’s kind of a cayenne pepper in the broth, little bit spicy, little bit of ‘do I want that in there?’” he said.
Aside from Quinn and Franco, the show will also be starring horror legend Robert Englund, who will portray Victor Creel. Both Dyer and Hawke admitted that they were thrilled to be working with Englund. “It was so cool just kind of watching him do what he does was really kind of incredible. And he’s such a kind person,” Dyer said.
Filming the show in the new normal
Stranger Things season 4 comes almost three years since the release of season 3, since the cast had to stop filming for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic. adie Sink (Max Mayfield) shared that the cast and crew were very excited to come back to work, and that it was kind of wild when everything had to be put on hold. “But we were really grateful when we did get the opportunity to safely go back to work,” she said.
Set six months after the battle at Starcourt, the gang has been separated for the first time, and now they’ll be stepping into a new chapter in their lives – high school. As the kids struggle to balance coping with the aftermath and navigating through high school life, a new threat surfaces that, when resolved, could put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down once and for all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW5W2r8XwVs
Catch Stranger Things season 4 when Volume One premieres on Netflix on May 27. Volume Two is set to premiere on July 1.
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