Get ready to return to the kooky town of Hawkins, Indiana, as the third season of Netflix’s smash hit drama Stranger Things is currently going before the cameras. As with previous seasons, the next run is set to push forward the events of the show by a year, meaning that it’ll take place in 1985.
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Noah Schnapp – who plays Will Byers – discussed how the upcoming batch of episodes will shake things up and not be set in the show’s previously preferred period of around Halloween – which suited its spooky atmosphere. Instead, Schnapp teased that it’ll take place in the summer, which will apparently allow for some more “playful” elements to be featured in the story.
“It’s very different this season because it’s in the summer, so you kind of get to see a different version of everyone,” Schnapp told the site. “It’s great because it has a lot of the dark parts from season two and a lot of the light playful parts from season one.”
His comment that season 3 will merge together the styles of the past two runs echoes what Schnapp said a couple of weeks ago as well while talking to Variety. Along with Millie Bobby Brown, the actor teased that Eleven would have a “beautiful storyline” when Stranger Things returns, as she’ll finally get a normal teenage life now that she’s been adopted by Hopper.
Producer Shawn Levy has also teased that the new setting will follow the kids of Hawkins enjoying their summer vacation, which will give it a “really enjoyable” tone – but only until “things inevitably turn super dark,” as Levi put it. In other words, don’t expect the Shadow Monster to take the summer off, too.
Right now, we’re not too sure when Stranger Things season 3 will drop online. David Harbour has previously suggested it won’t arrive until 2019, but with filming underway, there’s still a chance the show could arrive later this year. As always, watch this space for more.