Stranger Things season 4, part 1 earned the biggest premiere of any English-language Netflix show over the weekend, surpassing the record previously set by Bridgerton season 2 back in March.
The popular sci-fi series, which stars the likes of David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, and Winona Ryder, has reportedly accumulated 286.79 million hours worth of views globally, and managed to read the number one spot on the streaming platform's Top 10 in 83 countries. Bridgerton's sophomore season was reported to have clocked 193 million hours.
"And shout-out to everyone discovering/rediscovering Kate Bush through Stranger Things 4," Netflix wrote on Twitter as it announced the viewing figures, too. "As of May 30, Spotify streams of the legend's iconic song Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) have increased more than 9,990% in the US!"
Released in two volumes, the second of which arrives on July 1, Stranger Things season 4 takes place six months after the events of its predecessor, and sees Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the gang face a terrifying new threat, Vecna.
While Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Murray (Brett Gelman) head to Russia to try and rescue Hopper (David Harbour), and Eleven teams up with Dr. Sam Owens (Paul Reiser) to regain her powers, the Hawkins youngsters find themselves trying to prove that newbie Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) isn't responsible for a trio of mysterious, gruesome deaths in town.
"The show and our audience is growing up and evolving along with our young stars," director and executive producer Shawn Levy recently explained to The Hollywood Reporter when asked about Stranger Things 4's more sinister tone. "No matter how dark we go with Stranger Things, it's always balanced with heart. I really think that's what makes Stranger Things unique – in addition to several stylistic instincts that the Duffers have, which makes the show deeply binge-worthy.
"It's got this warm, passionate beating heart, in the characters' storytelling, and that's the antidote; that's the balance for all the gore and darkness," he continued. "I really feel like one without the other wouldn't work in the same phenom way that Stranger Things seems to deliver."
Stranger Things 4 – Volume 1 is available to stream now. If you've already binge-watched all seven episodes, fear not, Volume 2 is set to arrive on July 1 – check out our Stranger Things season 4 release schedule for more information.
