The biggest hit this summer wasn’t a blockbuster movie (of which there were few), but a show about a small town, a government conspiracy and aliens.
Oh, and the ’80s. Lots and lots of the ’80s.
Stranger Things was a Stephen King-ish, Winona Ryder-starring series with minimal buzz and a decidedly retro vibe when it arrived in July. Within weeks, the show became Netflix’s third-most watched show ever.
No surprise, it was just renewed for a second season. See the teaser trailer below.
The adventure continues. @Stranger_Things 2 is coming 2017. pic.twitter.com/wD6BamGfuR
— Netflix US (@netflix) August 31, 2016
While yours truly found the whole exercise a bit too “spot the reference,” the show certainly picked up a rabid fanbase. And it deserved a renewal: ST season 1 ended on a rather ambiguous note, what with telekinetic alien Eleven’s disappearance, Will possibly bringing back some of the Upside Down after his disappearance and Nancy ending back up with Steve.
Season 2, at nine episodes, will take place a year later, in 1984—and feature the entire original cast plus four new characters, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Well, possibly not the entire original cast.
“We don’t know about Eleven,” says co-creator Ross Duffer. “We leave that up in the air.” (But if Eleven’s fear and terror fuel the Demogorgon … expect her there).
Other tidbits revealed: James Cameron’s sequels (Aliens, Terminator 2) will be an influence. And we know the episode titles: Madmax, The Boy Who Came Back to Life, The Pumpkin Patch, The Palace, The Storm, The Pollywog, The Secret Cabin, The Brain and The Lost Brother.
Meanwhile, enjoy some of the music by the true heroes of Stranger Things, soundtrack gurus Survive.
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