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'Stranger Things' Season 3: Everything we know so far

The second season of Stranger Things has only been out for a month, but its huge success (I mean, four million views per episode during the first weekend?) means everyone’s ready for more. And with confirmation from Netflix that Season 3 is officially happening, along with the show creators confirming that they are working on it, we’re just waiting as patiently as we can for the new season.

Read more: 5 reasons Stranger Things’ Steve Harrington is the real hero of Season 2

Not much has been confirmed yet, but there are many speculations and maybe even some hints from the writers and cast members. Here’s everything we already know.

It is in the works…


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The Duffer Brothers told IndieWire they are in the early stages of developing the story, working with writers and figuring out what’s going to happen.

Because of that, there’s no way of knowing how many episodes it will have or when Season 3 will premiere. However, NME speculates that the new episodes may come by the end of 2018 or start of 2019, based on the time difference between the first two seasons. 

Cosmopolitan also looked into the possible number of episodes: Season 1 started with eight, while Season 2 had nine; if the trend continues, Season 3 might have 10 episodes. Digital Spy hints the first trailer could come out as soon as Spring 2018, considering the teaser for Season 2 premiered during the Superbowl in 2017.

But filming hasn’t started yet


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Twitter account Atlanta Filming posted, at the end of August, that shooting would start soon. Both previous seasons were filmed in the city.

NME believes the timeline makes sense because of other projects the actors are involved in, such as Finn Wolfhard, who started production on a film in November.

Popsugar points out Season 2 took seven months to film and four months of post-production, and Season 3 could take just as long. So, we should keep an eye out for when they start filming.

Who’s coming back…


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If you felt like you need more of Erica Sinclair in your life, don’t worry: Lucas’ sister will be back on the show. “There is no version of Season 3 where Erica doesn’t have a majorly expanded role!” Matt Duffer told Vulture. Priah Ferguson, who plays Erica, even has some ideas of what could come next: “I hope Erica could partner with Lucas and fight off the Demogorgon with Eleven, Mad Max and the whole cast,” she told Teen Vogue

Eleven’s sister might also be making a comeback. The Duffer Brothers were really vague about it on a Vulture recap, but there’s a chance Kali will be part of Season 3. “If Eleven feels the need to seek her out, she can. It’s definitely something that’s a little bit open-ended that we could or could not revisit,” Matt Duffer said. He also added: “It feels a little bit like a loose end if we don’t.” Actress Linnea Berthelsen told NME she’d love to go back to the show, and she even has some theories about Kali’s power.

Max’s brother, Billy, was supposed to have a bigger role in Season 2, according to E! News, but there wasn’t enough time. That means we will probably see more of him later on, including a possible teen supernatural storyline and maybe even a hook-up with Mrs. Wheeler.

Other speculation is that Eleven’s father could be returning to the show as the next season’s villain. Matt Duffer told IGN that they aren’t satisfied with the idea of simply killing Dr. Brenner. “He would deserve much more than that as an ending. So yes, there’s a possibility of seeing him again,” Matt Duffer said.

And who might not


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NME noted many of the main actors on the shows are working on or eyeing different projects. While Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo are in bands, Millie Bobby Brown is confirmed to star in Godzilla: King of Monsters, and Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan, will be in The New Mutants alongside Maisie Williams. All these endeavours mean schedule conflicts could happen. 

There will be a change in focus


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According to IndieWire, the Duffer Brothers want to focus the new season on character development rather than expanding the scope of the show, like they did on Season 2. Matt Duffer said he’s excited to give the characters “an interesting journey to go on.”

More ‘80s references to come


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Two seasons in, you already feel like an ‘80s expert, right? The Duffer Brothers will tell you to prepare for more, and there’s way more movies and filmmakers they still haven’t explored. They won’t tell you who exactly they are drawing inspiration from, though, to avoid spoilers.

The Mind Flayer is still there…


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The last scene proved the shadow monster is not gone, but there’s more to it. The Duffer Brothers told The Hollywood Reporter the Mind Flayer is still in the Upside Down and that it’s aware of the kids, especially Eleven. The show creators also told Vulture the monster’s goal is to take over Hawkins and continue spreading. “In that way, it's very much like a virus that could take over the whole planet,” Matt Duffer explained. Oh no.

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…and it’s going to cause Eleven trouble


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On Beyond Stranger Things, Ross Duffer said the monster as really mad at Eleven for closing the door on him and, because of that, it might come back to haunt her. 

And there’s more for Eleven: Becoming a teen girl will not be an easy task. “She's becoming a teenager with increasingly intense powers. I could see a lot of things going not so well,” Ross Duffer explained. 

The kids are growing up


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As the Stranger Things kids grow up, the plot will probably focus on them entering high school, going through adolescence and all the drama that goes with it. Matt Duffer told IndieWire they don’t see it as a problem: “I think it’s good, it forces the show to evolve,” he said. “After all, everybody loves a good coming-of-age story.” The fact that the actors are getting older means something else: There will be another time-jump, so the story will not start right after Season 2 wraps up.

The show’s costume designer, Kim Wilcox, hinted the Snow Ball outfits are clues of who the group are becoming in future seasons. “There's a little bit of awkwardness, but it was really fun to see where each boy's personality might take us in the fitting, see what was right for them,” she told E! News.

Will may get a break


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The Duffer Brothers said Will Byers has gotten rid of all things that invaded him while he was in the Upside Down. Noah Schnapp is not too sure of it, though. He told The Hollywood Reporter the idea seems a little strange to him. “There’s this massive monster taking over all of Hawkins, and all you have to do is light a few fires and turn on a few heaters, and he’s gone?” 

The teenagers will continue being, well, teens


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Whether you’re team Jonathan or team Steve (you know who we are rooting for), Nancy still hasn’t made up her mind. Joe Keery told E! News he thinks his character will develop more on Season 3, and the love triangle will keep going.

Joyce and Hopper?


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With Bob gone, Joyce and Hopper will grow even closer. Ross Duffer believes there’s chemistry between those two. “There's definitely something there. Part of it is that they're comfortable with each other, and they've known each other for a long time,” he told Vulture.

A musical episode might happen


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We already know all the kids on the show have musical talent, so maybe a crossover could be in the works? Wolfhard joked that might happen, and he already has ideas for it.

There’s more after Season 3


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The Duffer Brothers are planning to have at least four seasons. “I think, you know, four to five seasons is likely where we'll end up, but who knows?” Ross Duffer told E! News. But nothing is official yet. They have to see where the story goes, and the creators are aware that even more changes will have to be made to adjust to the characters ages. “We just have to keep adjusting the story,” Matt Duffer told Vulture. “Though, I don’t know if we can justify something bad happening to them once a year.” His brother added: “They’re going to have to get the fuck out of this town!”