When Stranger Things debuted on Netflix in 2016, few predicted how hugely popular it would become – but the Duffer Brothers’ tale of ‘80s kids battling supernatural forces, inspired by all things Amblin and Stephen King, proved an irresistible treat. The year after, Stranger Things 2 was a Halloween treat, upping the scare factor and bringing romantic obstacles to the kids of Hawkins, Indiana – as well as more threats from the Upside Down, like demodogs and the Mind Flayer.
This summer, Stranger Things 3 is coming – a true slice of blockbuster TV, plunging Mike, Eleven, Will and the whole gang into the summer of 1985 – and the latest issue of Pilot TV, on sale Thurs 13 June, goes inside the new series, visiting the set and talking to the whole Hawkins crew.
While the summer holiday setting brings the group out of school, their vacation is soon interrupted by the supernatural forces that continue to plague the town. “The first season was more about the adventure aspect and kind of fun, the second season was more about the horror aspect,” says Finn Wolfhard, “season three is everything, like the fun of season one and the horror of season two and the Duffers have got better at it, at writing it. And we’ve become better actors.”
And it’s not just Max’s mean older brother Billy Hargrove bringing the terror (“He’s pure evil this season,” teases actor Dacre Montgomery) – there’s still something very much up with Will Byers. “Will still has the presence of the monster left, and you kind of see what happens there,” explains Noah Schnapp. “People have asked, ‘Does Will get a break this season?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, sure, for the first two episodes. And then no one really gets a break.”
Read plenty more about Stranger Things 3 – including the Starcourt Mall, Maya Hawke’s complex new character Robin, and Steve and Dustin’s increased bromance – in the new issue of Pilot TV, on sale with the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood* issue of *Empire on Thursday 13 June. Stranger Things 3 arrives on Netflix on 4 July.
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