'Stranger Things' Season 4 Is "More Epic And Cinematic," Says Shawn Levy

Stranger Things fans have waited over two years for season 4 to arrive. The third season premiered back in what feels like the distant past of 2019, and the fourth has been delayed due to pandemic precautions. Though production on this be season is still underway, series producer and director Shawn Levy told us that season 4 will be well worth the wait.

Levy recently sat down with /Film to chat about the release of his new movie Free Guy, but we asked him for an update on the Netflix series' upcoming season:

/Film: Stranger Things season 4 is coming up. I know you're sworn to secrecy, but we've heard a lot of interesting words describing the new season, that it's "bigger" and "more mature." Are there any other words you can throw out for us?Shawn Levy: Both of those are true. It's epic storytelling. It's still rooted in character, but the scope of the storytelling is more epic and cinematic than we've ever attempted before.

There have already been reports of the season filming at new locations, some of them around the world. Set photos and an early teaser have revealed the fate of David Harbour's Jim Hopper, with the series filming at what appears to be a Russian labor camp. But this could simply be one of many new locations appearing in season 4, as Levy has made frequent references to the "sprawling geography" of the new season.

In an interview with Collider, he spoke about the many factors contributing to the season's delay, adding:

"It's already known that, as the pandemic was starting, I was over in Lithuania with David Harbour shooting that piece that revealed Hopper's alive. So you kind of know we've got some action in Hawkins, we've got some action apparently in Russia, and we have an entire storyline set elsewhere that will soon come to light. So this is the first season where we have this sprawling geography, multiple location shoots, and we're doing it all against a backdrop of a world that has made filming slower longer in delay. So that's why it's taking so long."

As the wait for season 4 continues, it at least seems like we have plenty to look forward to. Season 4 also adds some new faces to the cast, including Jamie Campbell Bower, Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, Sherman Augustus, Mason Dye, Nikola Djuricko, and Robert Englund.

They'll join the main and recurring cast of the show, including stars Millie Bobbie Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, David Harbour, Winona Ryder, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, Cary Elwes, Jake Busey, Maya Thurman-Hawk, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, and Brett Gelman.

While it's still unclear when Stranger Things season 4 will arrive on Netflix, Levy's new film Free Guy hits theaters on August 13, 2021.