Stranger Things season 3 release date, cast, plot and everything else we know so far

From new characters to a new location, plus the most special effects-laden season yet

It feels like we’ve been waiting forever to return to Hawkins, Indiana.

Unfortunately, there’s still longer to wait, as season three of Stranger Things looks set to debut outside of its usual Halloween slot. In return, expect new characters, new thrills, a major new location, and some of the biggest special effects yet. Here’s everything you need to know.

When does Stranger Things 3 come to Netflix?

The third season of Stranger Things will arrive 4 July 2019. You can watch the full-length trailer here.

Is there a trailer?

A short teaser has been released featuring Steve, Robin, and Starcourt Mall.

What year does it take place?

Season three will take place in the summer of 1985, a little less than a year after the events of season two, which took place in October 1984. As has now become standard for the series, expect references to the films that came out around that time, including Fletch, Return to Oz, and Lifeforce.

Are there any new locations?

Yes. In fact one major new location Netflix has already made swift work of publicising is Starcourt Mall, which opened its doors to residents at some point between season two and three. There’s even a food court, with stalls like Orange Julius and Hot Dog on a Stick. Sounds appetising.

What’s the plot?

There’s no official synopsis yet, but a few clues have hinted at what’s to come. In the official companion book to the series, Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down, showrunners Matt and Ross Duff promise a lighter storyline to fit with the summer theme.

“Aesthetically, its’s going to feel very different,” Ross Duffer says. “Everyone is going to this new mall, seeing movies, and, of course, the Hawkins pool is open for business. I think there’ll be a sense of fun and joy.”

However, season three also looks set to be the goriest season yet, inspired by David Cronenberg, George Romero, and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, from 1978, was set in a shopping mall, suggesting Starcourt Mall could have a major role to play here. The season will also have more special effects than the previous two, which explains the delayed release date.

In terms of our heroes, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will (Noah Schnapp), Lucas (Caleb Mclaughlin), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery), Max (Sadie Sink) and Billy (Dacre Montgomery) are all set to return.

As indicated by the season two finale and its school dance, both Mike and Eleven along with Max and Lucas are officially coupled up. Executive producer Shawn Levy said: “Mike and Eleven and are going strong, so that’s a relationship that continues, and same with Mad Max and Lucas. But Again, they’re like 13 or 14-year-old kids, so what does romance mean at that stage of life? It can never be simple and stable relationships and there’s fun to that instability.”

Meanwhile, Steve is a high-school graduate working at the mall’s ice cream shop, Scoops Ahoy. The fan favourite will also be making a more prominent appearance this season. Levy said: “We’ll definitely get to see some more of Steve Harrington in season three, and I’ll just say we won’t be abandoning the Dad Steve magic. I don’t want to say much more, but I literally feel that we were walking along and we stumbled onto a gold mine with Dad Steve.”

Billy will be the villain once again, although his story is set to take an unexpected turn. “There’s much more depth to him, but also much more darkness in this particular season,” Montgomery said of his character. When it comes to the show’s supernatural forces, it’s not clear who will take centre stage. The Mind Flayer, the spider-like creature we saw looming over the school in the final shot, is now aware of Eleven and her powers, even if the door between her world and the Upside Down has been shut.

Levy did hint that the season will “deal with forces of evil that are new” and that poor Will is finally getting a break. “We’re not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row,” he added. “He’ll be dealing with stuff, but he won’t be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah Schnapp to play.”

Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy, said the season feels “bigger, darker, scarier” than the previous two. “It felt like they noticeably bumped it up to a different level this season,” she said. “So I’m excited to see it, too. I don’t know how they do it, [creators] the [Duffer] brothers, but yeah, I’m excited.”

Who are the new characters?

Maya Thurman-Hawke plays Robin, who works with Steve at Scoops Ahoy. It’s hinted she may become involved in Steve’s dealings with the supernatural. Jake Busey, who played Ace Levy in Starship Troopers, plays Bruce, a reporter for The Hawkins Post with “questionable morals and a slick sense of humour”.

Cary Elwes, best known for his role in The Princess Bride, will play the image-conscious Mayor Kline, while Francesca Reale will play Heather, the lifeguard at the community pool. Priah Ferguson, who played Lucas’s little sister Erica in season two, now returns as a recurring character.