Stranger Things season 3 probably won't be here until 2019, according to Hopper

It’s perfectly reasonable to want to skip a whole year, isn’t it? No offence 2018, it’s nothing personal, but 2019 is home to Star Wars 9, Game of Thrones season 8, Avengers 4 - and now it’s looking likely that Stranger Things season 3 will join that already heaving list.

Who’s responsible for this piece of bad news? It’s Hopper – I mean, of course it’s Hopper. Bad news follows him around like nobody’s business.

Speaking to Variety, actor David Harbour says that, despite the show’s clipped length compared to other TV shows, it takes a long time to craft a season of Stranger Things. “I mean, one of the things that’s annoying for fans is that it takes us a long time to do them. Like, you probably won’t get [season 3] until sometime in 2019,” Harbour reveals.

That’s not to say the Duffer Brothers are resting on their laurels and counting that sweet, sweet Upside Down cash. Far from it. In fact, they’re reaching almost obsessive levels of work according to Harbour: “But also part of the thing is, like any good thing, they need time. And those guys work so hard. I mean, they just sit in their apartment and write for 12, 14 hours a day.”

It’ll be kinda hard to go possibly two years without checking in on the Stranger Things kids in Hawkins, Indiana, but, y’know, these things happen. I’d rather a meticulously planned-out third season with Eleven and the gang than a rushed effort to cash in on the show’s popularity. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that.

Image: Netflix

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.