‘Stranger Things’ Director Shawn Levy: Season 2 Will Be Bigger And Scarier [Video]


Shawn Levy, the man who produces and directs Stranger Things alongside the Duffer Brothers, recently talked in depth about Season 2 of the show with Gold Derby. He discussed the monsters from the second season, reflected on how complicated the season was to make, and mused about the future of Stranger Things beyond Season 2.

The Monsters of Stranger Things Season 2

If Levy’s interview made one thing clear in regards to the new season of Stranger Things, it is that fans are in for an intense thrill-ride when it comes to the new forces of evil that will be at play.

“Things tend to start going bonkers” in Season 2, he notes.

He adds that the insanely scary monsters of the second season will take Stranger Things to a whole new level of intensity and will put Season 1’s main monster, the Demogorgon, to shame.

The forces of evil that are inherent in season two make that Demogorgon look quaint in retrospect.

We already know from Stranger Things Season 2’s Super Bowl commercial that the second season will somehow involve a giant tentacle monster who looks like something out of Stephen King’s The Mist. From Levy’s brief description of “the forces of evil” in Season 2, though, it can safely be assumed there are to be many more forces at work.

What Else About the Plot of Stranger Things Season 2?

First of all, Levy revealed that Stranger Things‘ new season will focus heavily on Will, the child who was trapped in an alternate dimension for the vast majority of Season 1. As Dread Central points out, that makes a lot of sense, because Will did not get much of a chance to show off what he’s got in the first season and will be a breath of fresh air going forward.

“Will Byers is very much at the center of several intersecting challenges, threats in season two,” Levy says.

That’s also good evidence that there will be many monsters for the main characters to face and much more plot to pack in during Stranger Things Season 2.

In fact, Levy continues, the new nine-episode season could have “easily” been stretched to 13 episodes like most Netflix show seasons were the producers not so concerned with keeping things concise.

“What we want is for the episodes to feel dense, filled with emotion, genre tropes and twists, and, above all, characters that you’re leaning into,” Levy commented.

We also know from what child actor Finn Wolfhard said in an interview with Emmy Magazine that Season 2 will be decidedly scarier than the eight-episode debut of Stranger Things.

“I think this season will be a lot [darker],” Wolfhard said.

“A lot more horror-oriented.”

Hopefully the people behind Stranger Things don’t stray too far from the proven formula, but it is good to hear they will be keeping things fresh.

And speaking of keeping things fresh, Levy also revealed that, unlike last season where every episode was directed by either the Duffer Brothers or himself, some of this season’s episodes will be directed by guests. Fans can expect a few of the episodes to take on slightly unfamiliar tones as a result.

Get ready for ‘Stranger Things’ season two to open up a door to a red-tinged horror hellscape. [Image by ToddSm66]

Season 2 of Stranger Things Has Been Incredibly Taxing

Levy made a huge deal out of how much work the second season was turning out to be, saying that he had not anticipated the massive amount of self-marketing running a TV show like Stranger Things would entail.

He says that there is so much going on in the second season and the crew working on it is so small that they are really stretched to the limit on a regular basis.

“Because it’s a small team,” Levy insists, “it’s been a lot of work. It’s, like, an every day amount of work.”

This is awesome news for Stranger Things fans, as more work often translates into a more polished product.

The main cast members of season 1. [Image by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Images]

Post-Season 2 Plans For Stranger Things

In the interview, Levy expresses how unexpectedly successful Stranger Things has been, not just as a Netflix show but as a bona fide cultural phenomenon.

“With Netflix, you kind of measure success by cultural impact. And by that metric, Stranger Things is kind of without equal,” Levi notes. “We’ve permeated the culture in ways that are beyond our wildest dreams.”

He also expresses his intention to create many more seasons of Stranger Things after Season 2. He stayed humble by saying he does not want to take the show’s renewal after Season 2 as a given, but he added that “we’re hopeful there’s future seasons. It seems likely.” He says that either Levy or the Duffer Brothers will be directing as many of the future episodes as possible, so fans of Stranger Things can look forward to much more of the creepy tone they grew to love in Season 1.

[Featured Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]

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