Stranger Things 3: What can we expect from the new Netflix and Nintendo releases?

It might surprise you to hear that it’s been less than three years since nostalgia-charged Netflix series Stranger Things first hit our screens, dragging us back to the 80s and down into the nightmarish world of the Upside Down. So entrenched has that iconic neon Tron-esque logo become in the popular consciousness that despite first airing in 2016, the show is nothing short of a cult classic. Fans of the programme are waiting in eager anticipation of the third series,  busy guessing what otherworldly antagonism Will and his friends will be facing come the summer. But followers of the sci-fi fantasy will be pleased to hear that the next instalment is set to get a whole lot more immersive. Alongside the new season, Nintendo has announced the release of a Stranger Things 3 game for the Switch, with old-school graphics to add to the retro vibe.

What can we expect from the game?

Stranger Things 3: The Game is set to launch alongside the new series on 4^th July, and promises to follow the same characters, both those we are familiar with (including Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper) and some new faces we have yet to meet. Players will be able to switch between the roster of characters, some of whom allow you to gain access to specific areas and special items. The pixelated style of the game is reminiscent of classic Sierra adventure games from the 90s, with a similar emphasis on puzzle solving and story development over fighting – though each character will have their own unique combat move. There will be a split-screen co-op feature and a single player option, though the game does not accommodate online play. The map will take you through the same atmospheric woods and clinical laboratories of the show, where you will have to solve problems and fight baddies.

What can we expect from the series?

The wait for the new season may have been longer than viewers would have liked, leading to some worry that the show had been cancelled, but the creatives behind the series have assured fans that it’s only because they want it to be bigger and better than what has come before – and that’s a pretty high bar to set. It’s hard to say with much certainty what to expect plotwise from the upcoming series, but a trailer and a list of episode names have been released which have led to some fun speculation.

1. Suzie, Do You Copy?
2. The Mall Rats
3. The Case of the Missing Lifeguard
4. The Sauna Test
5. The Source
6. The Birthday
7. The Bite
8. The Battle of Starcourt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG3bmU_WaI

Both seem to point to the significance of rats (perhaps demi-rats?) which are set to arrive in droves in the town. Meanwhile, Steve and Dustin appear to have got themselves jobs at the mall, and Natalie and Jonathan, who are looking glum, may have some demons to contend with. But it’s not all doom and gloom: on a lighter note, Millie Bobbie Brown has suggested in an interview with Variety that Eleven’s storyline is beautiful a coming-of-age tale. The series is most likely set a year after the previous one, in the summer of 1985.

The cast

The good news is that all of the original cast are on board for the new episodes.

• • Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven
  • Finn Wolfhard’s Mike
  • Winona Ryder’s Joyce
  • Noah Schnapp’s Will
  • Caleb Mclaughlin’s Lucas
  • Gaten Matarazzo’s Dustin
  • Natalia Dyer’s Nancy
  • Charlie Heaton’s Jonathan

• Joe Keery’s Steve

As for new additions, Maya Thurman-Hawke (daughter of Uma and Ethan) will join up with the main cast as Robin. Starship Troopers star Jake Busey and Cary Elwes have also been added to the line-up.

How much does stranger things cast get paid?

The cast’s salaries are on different tiers (A, B and C)  determined by star power and acting experience. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the new contracts for the child actors are worth roughly 12 times their previous deals ($150,000-$250,000 per episode).  Netflix is said to be paying as much as much as $350,000 per episode for each of the “A tier” adult actors, including Winona Ryder and David Harbour.

What Millie Bobby Brown (15), who plays Eleven, is exactly paid still remains a mystery. Apparently, her team negotiated a pay rise separately in a top-secret deal. The kids of the hit Netflix show are probably earning more than you ever will. Is it too late to get into acting? If it is then you just have to try your luck at the National lottery, visit your local casino or win online with the help of the Professor.

The editorial unit