Stranger Things Exposed: Shocking Near-Deaths and Casting Twist
Oh, fantastic. Here comes another “groundbreaking” Hollywood conspiracy, courtesy of your friendly grumpy guru, laying out Stranger Things secrets you probably already half guessed. Even so, brace yourself for some real tea on how your favorite Hawkins heroes almost didn’t survive season one and which Bridgerton star missed the bus on a key part.
Back when Matt and Ross Duffer brainstormed their monster mystery, they called it Montauk. As Matt admitted to The Daily Beast, changing that name mid-development was like convincing someone to swap their favorite hoodie for a damp towel. Their coastal love affair with Long Island fell apart when a winter shoot in Montauk looked more like a polar expedition than sci-fi fun. Cost and crazed weather won, and Atlanta became Hawkins by default, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Fast-forward to pilot season and nearly 20 networks yawned at a story led by kids, according to Vulture. Yes, strangers in Hollywood didn’t trust fourth graders to carry a billion-dollar franchise. Then Netflix stepped in, and boom—monster mania. Millie Bobby Brown lost her locks to play Eleven, and she called shaving her head “the most empowering moment” at PaleyFest 2018. She borrowed grit from Charlize Theron in Mad Max and a dash of Winona Ryder’s yearbook swagger to nail that stoic stare.
Speaking of Ryder, the Duffers envisioned her character Joyce as a suburban warrior before anyone knew Hopper existed. Chief Hopper almost died in episode three of season one, but that plan got scrapped when creators saw David Harbour’s idiosyncratic charm during Table Read Bravo, adds Vulture. Fictional death vouchers were written for both Dustin and Lucas in early drafts, and poor Sadie Sink nearly missed her shot at Max after her first audition read felt “too serious,” producers whispered at The Hollywood Reporter.
Meanwhile, casting rooms rattled when a certain Bridgerton alum tried out for Bob Newby. They gave her a few scenes but ultimately handed the role to Sean Astin, who rang more nostalgic bells for ’80s fans. And for a final gem, Gaten Matarazzo filmed a cheeky dance reel in a G-string to show off Dustin’s rebellious side, according to an insider chat at Netflix’s cast party.
Now Netflix has teased season five with a July 16 trailer that reunites Steve, Dustin, Mike, Will, Hopper, Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan, Lucas, and a comatose Max. Volume I arrives November 26, Volume II on Christmas Day, and Volume III drops New Year’s Eve, capping off your Hawkins farewell by December 31, 2025.
There you have it: Stranger Things’ backstage survival guide, packed with near-deaths, almost-casts, and head-shaving epiphanies. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice surprises.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and The Daily Beast, The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture, PaleyFest, E! Online
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
