Stranger Things 4 trailer CONFIRMS Jim Hopper is alive 😱
He IS The American after all!
Good news for everyone awaiting the next instalment of Netflix’s D&D-inspired ‘80s nostalgia-fest: Stranger Things 4 is officially in production. After last year’s summer-of-love blowout in Stranger Things 3, the gang will return for a new season that looks set to expand the world of the show considerably.
Not least because (SPOILER WARNING) David Harbour’s seemingly-dead Jim Hopper is confirmed to return in a brand new trailer released today, having been captured by the Russians. Yes, all the speculation that the ‘American’ mentioned in the final moments of Season 3 referred to an actually-still-alive Hopper is bang on the money.
WATCH: Brand new trailer for Stranger Things 4
A statement from showrunners the Duffer Brothers reads, 'We’re excited to officially confirm that production on Stranger Things 4 is now underway – and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper! Although it’s not all good news for our 'American'; he is 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 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime -- pray for the American.'
Menacing stuff, there. So yes, it seems like there will be far more Russian activity in the upcoming season – and it remains to be seen how the Byers family will factor into this season, having (SPOILER WARNING AGAIN) moved out of Hawkins, Indiana in the Season 3 finale.
Will Winona Ryder’s Joyce get to find out that Hopper is alive? We’ll find out when Stranger Things 4 arrives, likely at some point in 2021.
Scroll through to see some interesting Stranger Things facts...
1)
To help sell the show, the Duffers edited a mock 'trailer' combining clips from over 25 feature films, including E.T., Nightmare on Elm Street, Super 8 and Halloween.
2)
The composers of the Stranger Things soundtrack (Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon) were two members of an Austin synth band called SURVIVE; their music was featured in the soundtrack of the film The Guest.
3)
Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon have written over 13 hours of music for the show.
4)
Winona Ryder wanted her hairstyle modeled after Meryl Streep's hair in Silkwood.
5)
The title sequence was inspired by the work of Richard Greenberg, who designed a number of classic 80s title sequences including Alien, Altered States, Superman and The Goonies - which starred a young Sean Astin, who later appeared in Stranger Things as Joyce's boyfriend Bob Newby.
6)
Winona Ryder and Matthew Modine (Dr. Martin Brenner) have appeared together once before, in the music video for Roy Orbison's 'A Love So Beautiful'.
7)
Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) and Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) have both acted on Broadway. Gaten played Gavroche in Les Miserables and Caleb played Young Simba in The Lion King. The two boys knew each other but they didn't become close friends until after working on Stranger Things.
8)
Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers) and Millie Brown (Eleven) are both from the UK. Charlie is from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, and Millie is from Bournemouth, Dorset.
9)
To help sell the show, the Duffers created a 'look book' which was designed in the style of a vintage Stephen King novel.
10)
Gaten's voice changed so much by the time production ended that the sound team were unable to use him for additional dialogue recording.
11)
Although the show was shot digitally on the RED Dragon, a layer of real film grain was applied to help achieve a more vintage look.
12)
It was Caleb's request to wear a camouflage bandana in the show; he wears it for the final three episodes.
13)
The monster was achieved through a combination of prosthetics, animatronics, performance and CG.
14)
The toddlers on set were very scared by the 'monster', but they were calmed when told that he was just like the monsters in Monsters Inc.
15)
Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, is a film buff and wants to be a director when he grows up. He is a particular fan of Sam Raimi's early work.
16)
The gang really did create a salt bath, and Millie Bobby Brown actually floated - there were no effects used! To get Millie to float in a kiddie pool, twelve hundred pounds of epsom salt were dissolved into the water.
17)
Before starting the show, the writers all watched (or rewatched) a large list of films, including E.T., Stand By Me, The Goonies, The Thing and A Nightmare on Elm Street.
18)
Millie had to shave most of her hair off for the show and as can be expected of any 11-year-old girl this was a terrifying prospect. The Duffers showed her how cool Charlize Theron looked in Mad Max: Fury Road after which Millie agreed to it.
19)
The Duffers had all the boys audition with scenes from Stand By Me.
20)
Hopper's trailer was purchased by the art department for $1.
21)
For some of the laboratory scenes, Millie (Eleven) was fully submerged in an underwater immersion tank. She was able to breathe by wearing a Sea Trek helmet, which weighs approximately 70 lbs above water; it weighs 15 lbs beneath the surface of the water. The helmet was designed for shallow 'underwater walking'.
22)
To direct Millie while she was underwater, the Duffers communicated with her through a small radio in her ear.
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This article originally appeared on Empire Online.