Everything we know about Stranger Things season 4 as first trailer drops

The first look at Stranger Things season four has arrived as Netflix dropped a trailer which not only confirms Jim Hopper is alive, but that he’s ‘The American’ too.

The surprise teaser clip – which arrived on Valentine’s Day – shows that the beloved cop didn’t perish in the Upside Down but has actually been captured by the Russians.

But it’s not all good news, as Hopper’s been imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human…and other.

Meanwhile, back in the states, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long-buried, something that connects everything….

Season four of Stranger Things is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening one yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more.

In the meantime, here’s everything we know about the upcoming chapter.

Stranger Things 4 will be longer than the previous season

Netflix bosses have extended the fourth chapter of Stranger Things with reports claiming that it will consist of nine episodes.

This means that the new series will be one episode longer than Stranger Things 3, and equal in length to that of its second inning.

‘There’s chatter that season four may actually consist of nine episodes, one more than initially planned,’ a source told TVLine.

‘That would make Stranger Things 4 one the Netflix drama’s meatiest seasons ever (tied with its sophomore run).’

Stranger Things 4 could be split into two parts

It’s been reported that Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers will be splitting the final season into two parts, much like the final season of Bojack Horseman and Power.

‘We’ve been informed that, though the original plan was to make season four the last, they’ve now decided to just extend the plot across an additional run,’ sources told We Got This Covered.

‘The second part, we’re told, may be marketed as season five, but it’ll essentially be the second half of season four as it will continue the same storyline.’

Production for Stranger Things 4 is already underway

The Stranger Things cast have been busy filming in Lithuania for the new season.

According to Netflix Life, the cast and crew have reportedly begun production in the Batlic region of Europe before returning to the US for more filming in early March.

Before this was announced, Millie Bobby Brown confirmed back in January that filming would start ‘soon’.

In a fan Q&A on her Instagram account, the young star was asked when she was starting to shoot the series.

And even though she held her cards close to her chest, the 15-year-old told her 31.4million followers: ‘Soon! Early this year for sure and v excited ab it [sic].’

New teenage characters are on the way for Stranger Things 4

Stranger Things is reportedly going to add four new characters to the cast for season four, meaning new potential friends or foes for Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Eleven and the gang.

According to TV Line, the showrunners want four men – three teenagers and an adult – to join the series. They are set to have ‘recurring roles’.

One of the young characters has been described as ‘a metalhead’ while another is apparently ‘an entitled jock’.

Meanwhile, the adult man ‘possesses characteristics that suggest he will figure prominently in a certain storyline set far, far away from Hawkins’.

This could be in reference to the season four teaser dropped by Netflix that hinted ‘We’re not in Hawkins any more’.

Stranger Things 4 fan theories are alive and kicking

Reddit users have been hard at work and have come up with some solid fan theories to keep us eager for what’s to come.

From launching their own plotlines thanks to questions that lingered from the season three finale, to picking up on tiny bits that could have a more significant meaning than we could’ve dreamed, no stone has been left unturned.

Some theories include Eleven turning evil after being separated from Hopper, who’s now in Russia unbeknownst to the rest of the gang.

Another suggests that Will subconsciously created the Upside Down

How? Well, the kid is certainly a creative one who’s used to creating his own world, and if he was experimented on as a baby, there’s a chance he got powers like Eleven.

But instead of telepathy, he can bring his imagination to life – and in doing so created the Upside Down.

This would explain why he wasn’t killed by the Demogorgon like others that crossed it, why he was targeted in the first place, and why it seems to reappear at times he’s under stress.

Yep, the theories are really flying off the handle – and we’re here for them.

Stranger Things is available to stream on Netflix.

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