How Stranger Things season 4 filming delay could make the show "better than ever"

Stranger Things season 4
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 4 probably should have finished filming by now. Of course, real-world events got in the way and led to a shutdown in production that lasted several months. But that might actually be a good thing. That is, according to director Shawn Levy who has revealed how it led to a small but important change that could make this the best season of Stranger Things yet.

“[The delay] impacted very positively by allowing the Duffer Brothers, for the first time ever, to write the entire season before we shoot 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,” Levy told Collider.

So, in the many, many months where the Stranger Things cast and crew were twiddling their thumbs, the creators were able to endlessly tweak and tinker with the scripts instead of literally writing things during filming.

Here’s hoping that extra time spent writing pays dividends. Speaking of time – we still don’t have a release date or even a release window for Stranger Things season 4. Levy ambiguously said that the date is “still TBD” at this stage.

What’s not TBD, however, is the show’s future. There was previous talk of Stranger Things season 4 being the Netflix series’ last. That won’t be the case, as the Duffer Brothers recently confirmed that the show would continue on to (at least) a fifth season. Maybe get started writing it now, just in case?

While we wait for Stranger Things season 4, here are the best Netflix shows to help fill up your watchlist.

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.