Overview
Whenever a new season of Stranger Things drops, a familiar cycle kicks into gear. The latest batch of episodes arrive, everyone binge-watches them as quickly as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) eats Eggos, and then the waiting begins. First, we wait to find out if the 80s-set dose of supernatural hijinks will continue. Then, we wait to learn exactly when it'll be coming back. It's taken a couple of months after the third season hit back in July, but Netflix has finally taken care of the first question. And the answer is yes.
As announced in the streaming platform's favourite way — via video — Stranger Things will return for a fourth bout of battles against demogorgons, mind flayers and the like. Alas, Netflix hasn't revealed any particulars in the way of a date, but it has dropped a crucial narrative tidbit. We hope you haven't gotten too comfortable in the show's small-town setting, because the next season will step beyond its bounds. The telling catchphrase that accompanies the renewal announcement clip: "we're not in Hawkins anymore".
While season three's final moments hinted at venturing to a new location, Netflix's new video nods in one direction: the Upside Down. Of course, just what that'll mean is bound to spawn a never-ending onslaught of speculation until whenever the next season releases. Still, it's probably safe to assume that Eleven, Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Max (Sadie Sink), Steve (Joe Keery), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and the gang — and Joyce (Winona Ryder), too — will be pushed even further out of their comfort zones.
If you're particularly fond of the series' creators, the Duffer Brothers have also committed to Netflix beyond the show, so expect other series and even films with them at the helm. Don't think they're leaving the show that brought them to fame, though — or, that Stranger Things is completely done with its regular locale either. Announcing the news, the twins said in a statement that they "can't wait to tell many more stories together — beginning, of course, with a return trip to Hawkins".
Check out the Stranger Things season four announcement video below:
Stranger Things' fourth season doesn't yet have a release date, but we'll update you when it does.