22 facts you probably didn't know about Stranger Things
The fourth season is finally here
Stranger Things took the world by storm when it was released in 2016, with the second and third season proving just as popular. And now, three years after series three, fans are overjoyed as Volume 1 of season four has officially dropped.
Stranger Things was created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer who have previously written some episodes of the sci-fi series Wayward Pines.
Here are some facts about the series that you probably didn't know:
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.
We can't wait to binge watch season four Volume 1 - with Volume 1 on the way in July!