Stranger Things season 4 filming is still far from being done according to Gaten Matarazzo, with the actor saying production schedules are flexible due to the ongoing pandemic. Matarazzo is one of the core cast of the show, having appeared as fan-favorite Dustin Henderson across all seasons so far. Stranger Things also stars Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Noah Schnapp as part of an ever-growing ensemble cast. Season 4 has been beset by delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and still hasn't finished filming, despite having started production in early 2020.
The shutdown did allow the show's writers to the Upside Down takes over a trailer park in season 4. But despite getting production up and running in late fall, and having all of their scripts nailed down, Matarazzo says that Stranger Things season 4 is still some way off completing production.
Speaking to Collider, Matarazzo says that even though it's been nice to be able to know all of the details of every episode on season 4, as opposed to only getting the scripts for the final few episodes mid-production like previous seasons, filming schedules haven't been reliable this time around. Laying the blame at the door of the pandemic, the 18-year-old says that even when he gets booked to shoot, he's unsure if it will happen until the very last moment, as plans can change with the pandemic protocols in place. As a result, he says, there's "really no way" to know when the season will wrap shooting. You can read his full comments below:
There’s very few dates that are reliable. It really is more of a guesstimation on when we’re gonna be filming next, when we’re gonna be wrapping up, when release is gonna be, all that jazz because we still don’t know on day-to-day if we’re gonna be filming next week. I should be filming like next month for a bigger chunk than I’ve had in a bit, but even though it’s coming up in about two weeks from now, I still don’t know an exact date. So because of that, there’s really no way to figure out when we’re gonna be wrapping.
Matarazzo's revelation is confirmation not only that movie and TV production has changed drastically due to the pandemic, but also that audiences are going to have to remain patient before they can see Stranger Things season 4. If filming isn't even close to done yet, that means the chances of a summer or even fall release date for the show are slim. Of course, post-production might be ahead of schedule due to the long filming breaks, but there's still no guarantee things will be complete any time soon.
The delay is a double-edged sword for the show. While it means audiences won't get new episodes for a while yet, it also means that anticipation for Stranger Things season 4 will be incredibly high. And after season 3 divided audiences with a shift in tone and focus, revealing some of the show's major flaws, that will be a good thing. But let the break run long enough, and audiences might have moved on to other shows, leaving Stranger Things in the past.
Source: Collider