At this point, it's no secret that countless television shows have shut down production due to stay-at-home orders. This has, of course, led to an early end for the network TV season and left shows from streaming services like Netflix with uncertain production futures. However, there is some positive news for fans of one popular Netflix series, which will probably go back into production first.
When production resumes, Stranger Things should be one of the first Netflix series to have production completed and get back to business as usual. Before production was halted, filming on Season 4 had just begun. Now, Deadline reports that the show's writers are currently continuing work on the series from home and things are far enough along we'll likely see movement on it before other Netflix shows. Still, that may not be until July or later.
In early March, Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, said that Stranger Things had recently done its first table read for Season 4. That update came less than a month after Schnapp had also shared his positive feedback regarding scripts for Stranger Things’ next installment. At the time, he had read the first four scripts of the season.
Stranger Things Season 4 has been confirmed to have 8 episodes, so it would seem there had already been considerable progress made from the writers before things were shut down. Early on, fans were given a few nice details on the upcoming season including the official title of the premiere.
On top of that, a Season 4 trailer also confirmed that Police Chief Jim Hopper is still among the living follow his ambiguous fate at the end of last season. It's a reveal that's sure to have a lot of implications and get fans even more excited for Stranger Things to return. The revelation has mainly led to a lot of theories regarding how Hopper's survival is possible but has also given rise to a lot of other burning questions.
Nevertheless, the answering of those questions all depends on whether or not Stranger Things can begin resume production in July. If things continue to be delayed, it's very possible that the season premiere will arrive sooner than expected.
During a Q&A on Instagram, David Harbour addressed the possibility that Season 4’s release could get delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to Harbour, Stranger Things’ next installment was supposed to drop in early 2021. He then speculated that the release window would “probably be pushed back.” Time will tell if he's right.
One thing that is clear is that Netflix wants to get Stranger Things back up and running as soon as it's safe, which is understandable given that it was the service's most most-watched show in 2019. Aside from the delay in production, there have been other behind-the-scenes changes. In a move that further hints at the sci-fi hit leaving Hawkins in the rearview, Stranger Things is set to film a substantial amount of Season 4 in New Mexico.
While you wait for the series to return, you can stream previous seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix, along with plenty of new 2020 content.
