Stranger Things Season 3 Partly Inspired By John Carpenter

CBR

By Sam Stone

Published Jul 27, 2018

Producer Shawn Levy reveals that the upcoming third season will take inspiration from John Carpenter as well as other 80s horror films.

Stranger Things has always taken inspiration from its setting in the 1980s but its upcoming third season will be strongly influenced by one specific filmmaker: John Carpenter.

Producer Shawn Levy has confirmed Season 3 of the popular Netflix series will take cues from classic action and horror films from the 80s with an emphasis on Carpenter's work with the new season taking place in the summer of 1985.

"It's inspired by many of the classic action films of the 80s but also by horror," revealed Levy in an interview with Italian new site Bad TV. "There will definitely be the spirit of John Carpenter and other 80s horror directors."

Carpenter was at his prolific in the 80s directing classic horror movies such as The Fog and The Thing. Nods to Carpenter's work have existed since the very first episode of Stranger Things with a poster from The Thing displayed prominently in Mike Wheeler's basement. In addition to his horror work, Carpenter also directed iconic 80s action films including Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China.

While both Levy and star David Harbour have separately indicated 80s cinema will influence the third season, Levy assures fans that Dungeons & Dragons, which had a particular strong focus in the first season, will always be in the Netflix series' DNA.

"I don't want to reveal too much but I can tell you that D & D will always be part of Stranger Things. Always." confirmed Levy.

Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair, Cary Elwes as Mayor Kline, Jake Busey as Bruce, and Maya Thurman-Hawke as an “alternative girl” whose name hasn’t been revealed. The first two seasons are available now on Netflix.