Stranger Things renewed by Netflix, Season 2 to premiere in 2017

LOS ANGELES — In a not-so-strange turn of events, Netflix has renewed breakout hit “Stranger Things” for a second season, Variety has learned.Season 2 will debut in 2017 and will consist of nine episodes, in comparison to the first season that spanned eight episodes.The news comes hardly as a surprise, as the supernatural drama has become arguably the buzziest series of the summer. Insiders tell Variety that work on the second season has already been underway for quite some time.The Duffer Brothers, who are natives of Durham, will return as writers for the second season and will executive produce with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen once again. 21 Laps Entertainment produces “Stranger Things.””Stranger Things” stars Winona Ryder in her first major TV role. In the first season, she starred alongside David Harbour, Matthew Modine, Finn Wolfhard, Natalia Dyer, Cara Buono, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Millie Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Chrest, Joe Keery, Rob Morgan, Ross Partridge, Shannon Purser, John Paul Reynolds, Mark Steger and Chris Sullivan. No casting has been confirmed for upcoming season.The ’80s-set thriller follows the disappearance of a young boy and a telekinetic girl who helps his friends with their search, while the boy’s older brother and the town police chief start their own investigations.Earlier this summer, “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer talked about a second season in an interview with Variety, teasing what they have up their sleeves for the next episodes of the show.Before the renewal was announced, the Duffer brothers also spoke at the Television Critics Association press tour, telling reporters that there’s more to the story and they hope they get to tell it. “We want it to feel like a big movie,” Matt said. “But there’s a bigger mythology, and there’s a lot of dangling threads at the end. We could explore it if Netflix wanted to continue.”Ross added, “It’s about giving enough so the audience feels satisfied.”Well, now with Season 2 coming along, it appears the audience will be on their way to satisfaction.