Netflix's Stranger Things was officially renewed for Season 3 in December, but fans will have a long wait ahead of them, since it has been confirmed that the show won't premiere until sometime in 2019. Today new details surfaced which revealed this new season will span eight episodes, going back to the same number of episodes as the first season, following a nine-episode Season 2 last fall. It was also confirmed that filming on Season 3 won't happen until mid-April, although no story details have been confirmed yet.
Series regulars Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Dacre Montgomery (Billy Hargrove), and Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield) are all expected to return. It has been confirmed that this season will feature a big time jump, because the kids are growing faster than they expected.
The show's producers took some heat for the "unscripted kiss" between Sadie Sink and Caleb McLaughlin, which was the first kiss in real life for both actors. Sadie Sink revealed on the Beyond Stranger Things after-show that the kiss "stressed" her out, with the Duffer Brothers joking that they only "made" her do it after she became so uncomfortable about it when they "jokingly" brought up the kiss. Sadie Sink added in a later interview that she never felt "pushed into" the kiss adding that she has always felt comfortable around the Duffer Brothers.
Last month, producer Shawn Levy, who has also directed multiple episodes of the show, revealed that they're finally going to give young Will Byers a break, adding that he will be "dealing with stuff" but not to the extreme levels that he was in the first two season. He also confirmed that fans who enjoyed the unexpected friendship between Dustin and Steve will not be disappointed, with the producer hinting fans will, "get some Steve/Dustin action" in Season 3. Still, no specific plot details have surfaced quite yet for this season.
The Duffer Brothers also recently teased that the end of Season 2 sets up Season 3, since they wanted the fans to be aware that the Mind Flayer is still in the Upside Down, and very aware of what all the kids are doing, especially Eleven. While Eleven did use her powers to destroy the link between Hawkins, Indiana and the Upside Down, the brothers stated they wanted to end the season on an ominous note. TV Line first broke the news on these Stranger Things Season 3 details.