Netflix's Stranger Things was one of the many film and television projects forced to suspend production earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the temporary shutdown was a setback, executive producer Shawn Levy believes there was a benefit from the delays that could result in the fourth season of the series being the best one to date.
The beginning of production on Stranger Things season 4 was heralded by Netflix with a behind-the-scenes video featuring the cast and crew of the series reuniting for a table read. While filming managed to take place in Lithuania without delay, the pandemic shutdowns in North America began taking place around the same time production on Stranger Things had moved to Atlanta, Georgia.
Fortunately, the cast and crew of Stranger Things were able to resume filming in late September, roughly six months after the shutdown began. During an interview with Collider, executive producer Shawn Levy explained that while the pandemic has impacted the premiere date of the fourth season, the unexpected delay granted the writers additional time to revise the screenplays and has benefited the series overall. "I'll just say the pandemic definitely massively delayed shooting and therefore the launch of our current Season 4, date still TBD," Levy said. "But it impacted very positively by allowing the Duffer brothers, for the first time ever, to write the entire season before we shot it and to have time to rewrite in a way that they rarely had before so the quality of these screenplays are exceptional, maybe better than ever."
The writers and producers of Stranger Things have been tight-lipped when it comes to story details on the fourth season, though the first teaser removed what little doubt there was regarding the fate of David Harbour's Jim Hopper. The previous season concluded with Hopper sacrificing himself to destroy a secret lab located underneath Starcourt Mall in Hawkins, Indiana. The Duffer Brothers have also stated that they do not intend to conclude the series with the fourth season.
Considering the success of Stranger Things, it would have been surprising if the pandemic had led to a permanent shutdown for the series. The same could not be said for contemporary Netflix shows such as GLOW, which had its renewal reversed by the streaming service despite having already filmed at least one episode of its final season before the pandemic reached Hollywood.
One of the reasons why fans are losing some of their favorite television shows far sooner is because the health crisis is forcing the studios to take on additional costs in order to keep productions moving. For example, a COVID-19 compliance supervisor, who is tasked with ensuring the proper safety protocols are being enforced, can cost a studio as much as $1000 per day.
Stranger Things is now available on Netflix.
Source: Collider