Can Stranger Things really overcome the sophomore slump and deliver another round of episodes as enthralling and nostalgic as the first? It may be able to, but doing so will require an astute balance between the old and the new, according to co-creator Ross Duffer, who spoke to Entertainment Weekly in anticipation of the show’s Halloween return.
Nipping at the heels of Sunday’s tantalizing Super Bowl teaser, EW’s latest issue places Stranger Things in the limelight, and below you’ll find a new cover photo featuring the core cast of Netflix’s hit sci-fi series: Mike, Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven, who’s rocking a new haircut. Eleven’s eye-catching appearance isn’t the only thing new in Stranger Things season 2 though, with Ruffer noting that the mission driving the creative team involves trying to strike a “balance of the comfort you’re familiar with but then trying to take it in new directions. That’s what we’re trying to strike with season 2.”
It’s a conundrum that practically every movie sequel faces early on in production, but then again, not every feature film generates the level of excitement and online pandemonium as Stranger Things. However, for all of the praise and critical acclaim directed at Things, it does ramp up the pressure for Netflix and the show’s lead creators – namely Matt and Ross Duffer, along with executive producer Shawn Levy. In closing, the latter stated: “That is the new challenge of season 2: quieting the cultural noise that surrounds our show.”
Cancel any and all plans for Halloween 2017; Stranger Things season 2 is bound for Netflix, and may just hold a whole new, downright creepy story connection to Dungeons and Dragons.
