We’re no ‘strangers’ to Netflix’s cult series, Stranger Things that won our collective hearts with Seasons 1 and 2. It is termed as one of the best TV shows on Netflix right now and there’s no guessing why. With the trailers of season 3 gearing us up for yet another adventure, we’re taking a look at all the lesser known facts about the show that make it stranger and stranger!
1. The show is based on real conspiracy theories.
Stranger Things is based on real conspiracy theories about the United States government conducting reality-bending experiments on children, specifically, the Montauk Project. The show was originally titled Montauk and it was set on the far edge of the Long Island peninsula.
2. The show makers are said to have auditioned 906 boys and 307 girls for the lead roles.
1,213 child actors were auditioned by the Duffer brothers and casting director Carmen Cuba for crucial lead roles. The actors were asked to read scenes from the pilot episode and scenes from Stand By Me. After a long search, they finally cast Gaten Matarazzo, to play Dustin. Gaten Matarazzo was cast by the Duffer Brothers after they watched his first audition tape.
3. Turns out, our favourite spook author, Stephen King played a key role in the casting of Millie Bobbie Brown.
Stephen King saw Millie Brown’s work in BBC’s show Intruders, after which, he praised her work on Twitter. Her acting skills definitely gave her an edge over others, to be cast for a prominent role as Eleven ‘El’/Jane Hopper on the show. The rest, as they say, is history.
4. Brown’s character, Eleven, was inspired by the E.T.
In what was considered to be a homage to E.T, Eleven wears a pink dress and an absurd wig in the first season but this easter egg was also supposed to be a clue to her entire, otherworldly character. In an interview Millie Brown said, “The Duffer brothers told me that the performance they wanted me to resemble was that of E.T. and that relationship between E.T. and the kids.”
5. The iconic title sequence of the show was said to be inspired by renowned motion graphics designer Richard Greenberg.
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6. Winona Ryder had to be convinced by the Duffer brothers to play the role of Joyce during a four-and-a-half-hour long meeting.
In an interview to EW, the Duffer brothers said, “We actually talked very little about the show or the character of Joyce; we were mostly just getting to know each other.” Ryder agreed to play the role and joined the rest of the crew the very next day.
7. In the show, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery) was supposed to be “the biggest douchebag on the planet.”
In an interview to Variety, Ross Duffer said, “A lot of credit goes to Joe Keery because he was much more likable and charming than we originally had envisioned.”
8. Matthew Modine helped to create his own character, that of Dr. Brenner.
It was hard for the Duffer brothers to write for the character of Dr. Brenner since his role was not that prominent. In an interview given to the Empire, Matt Duffer said, “He informed it, and I’m really happy with where we wound up with him at the end, with something that was discovered during the course of shooting.”
9. The production unit of the show used 1,200 pounds of Epsom salts.
Yes, they had to use 1,200 pounds of Epsom salts to make Brown float in a kiddie pool during in a scene during season 1.
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10. They supposedly even used an 80s film grain on each frame.
In an interview given to the EW, Matt Duffers said, “This was done to give the series a vintage vibe.”
11. The Duffer Brother had to convince Brown to cut her hair, showing her pictures of Charlize Theron from Mad Max: Fury Road.
In an interview to EW, Ross Duffer said, “Brown calls it the best decision I’ve ever, ever made.” So do we!
12. Shannon Purser made her acting debut as Barb.
“I was thinking, this is the biggest thing I’ve ever done and how cool would it be if I actually got this? And I did!” she told Esquire in an interview.
13. The movement of the “petals” on the Demogorgon’s head are said to never repeat.
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14. On an average, 8.8 million people watched Stranger Things 2 on Netflix within the first three days itself.
All nine episodes were watched by 361,000 people in the first 24 hours. Imagine that!
15. In season 2, Brown is said to have cried after filming the scene with Papa.
On Beyond Stranger Things she said, “I just cried for like 45 minutes afterwards. It was one of the hardest scenes I’ve ever filmed.”
16. Dacre Montgomery, who plays Billy in Stranger Things 2 danced shirtless to “Come on Eileen” and apparently even wore a G-string in his audition tape.
In an interview with GQ he said, “I was thinking: Either I’m never going to work again, or somebody somewhere is going to see one thing in me, and they’ll give me a chance.”
17. Gaten Matarazzo came up with the idea for Dustin’s iconic “purr.”
It was Matarazzo’s idea for Dustin to do the purr/growl, which grew out of his Chewbacca impression.
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18. For the flashback scenes in Season 2, Brown has CG hair.
Matt Duffer told Vulture, “It’s kind of expensive (CG), so thank God it was only for that one short sequence. We wouldn’t have been able to do that the whole season.”
Time to re-watch the Stranger Things Season 3 trailer ahad of its release.
