Netflix has unleashed an official video teaser for the fourth season of their flagship series STRANGER THINGS. The clip features the show's logo being overtaken by a benevolent force that no doubt hails from the Upside Down, before revealing that the next chapter of the series will explore the world outside of Hawkins, Indiana. In addition to the video, it's been announced today by Netflix that STRANGER THINGS series creators and showrunners, Matt and Ross Duffer, have signed a massive multi-year film and series overall deal with Netflix. While details of the contract have yet to be revealed, sources say that the arrangement is similar to the one Netflix recently made with GAME OF THRONES creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
For those of you with sharp ears, the end of the above video also features the sounds of the Westminster Chimes, which can be heard in several parts of the world, but is most oftenly associated with the United Kingdom's Big Ben.
SPOILERS AHEAD
The idea of STRANGER THINGS Season 4 taking place outside of Hawkins will come as no surprise for those who've seen the final episode of the show's third chapter. At the end of Season 3, following the supposed death of Hawkins’ Sheriff Jim Hooper (David Harbour) as part of a sacrificial play to beat back the creatures encroaching from the Upside Down, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is seen taking her sons and Eleven away from the not-so-quiet Indiana town to start life anew. However, an after-credits sequence finds us in the far Eastern reaches of the USSR where guards are discovered feeding prisoners to an incarcerated Demogorgon. During this scene we hear a USSR agent instruct, "not the American," which many have assumed is Hopper having been transported to an underground bunker located in Russia.
Despite some aspects of the new season taking place overseas, the Duffers have teased, “We can’t wait to tell many more stories together — beginning, of course, with a return trip to Hawkins!”
Word has it that the Duffers renegotiated their Netflix contract to reflect the mega-success of their STRANGER THINGS series, a merchandising juggernaut that has invaded outlets across the globe with deals for apparel, collectible figures, Halloween costumes and much more.
“The Duffer Brothers have captivated viewers around the world with Stranger Things and we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with them to bring their vivid imaginations to other film and series projects our members will love,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “We can’t wait to see what The Duffer Brothers have in store when they step outside the world of The Upside Down.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to continue our relationship with Netflix,” Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer said. “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!”
Season 4 of STRANGER THINGS is expected to begin filming this October in Georgia, a locale that in recent times has come under fire by Hollywood over the controversial abortion-related "Heartbeat Bill," signed by Governor Kemp in May.
“Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there – while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to,” Sarandos said on May 28. “Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia.”
Season 4 of Netflix's STRANGER THINGS is likely to arrive sometime in 2020.