Netflix has released a series of first-look images for Stranger Things 4 that tease a much darker season for Eleven, Mike and the rest of the crew.
The streaming service gave fans “a taste of echo” with a selection of photos from the next issue of Stranger Things that showed some familiar faces as well as a few newcomers. Season 4 will find these characters scattered across the globe, from snow-covered Russia to sunny California and also the eerie Creel House that serves as the backdrop for numerous snaps.
Season 4, Volume 1 begins six months after the events of Season 3 and the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. The group separates for the first time when “a new and terrifying supernatural threat emerges, which presents a gruesome mystery that, if solved, could finally put an end to the horrors of Upside Down.”
The Duffer brothers recently reflected on how the series has evolved since the first season hit the screens in 2016, noting that the series’ earliest episodes evoked Steven Spielberg’s supernatural encounter stories before moving into John Carpenter’s more obvious horror vibes and conspiracy elements. . a much darker tone for season 4.
“When we presented it to Netflix all those years ago, we turned it up like the kids are … The Goonies in ET,” Ross explained in an upcoming episode of Present Company With Krista Smith. “It’s their story. And the adults are in Jaws and Close Encounters, and then the teens are in Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween. But this year we do not have the kids. We can not make The Goonies anymore. And then suddenly we lean. much harder into the horror film territory that we love. It was fun to make that change. “
The penultimate season of Stranger Things is expected to be “bigger, bolder and more complicated” than previous episodes and will have plenty of surprises in store. As such, the fourth chapter will be split into two parts, with Volume 1 making its debut on Netflix on May 27, and Volume 2 coming out five weeks later on July 1 to complete the season in nine episodes.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.