00:00As Stranger Things fans brace themselves for season two scares, Matt and Ross Duffer,
00:11the twin duo behind the Netflix breakout series, continue to wrap post-production ahead of their
00:16October 27th release. The Hollywood Reporter recently spoke to the duo about how things will
00:21evolve, whether the trailers have them feeling conflicted, and the dangers of expanding their
00:26series into a larger franchise. First off, when it comes to the first thriller of a trailer for season
00:32two, Ross says it doesn't give away as much as viewers might think, since marketing only had
00:37access to the first couple episodes and a few later shots. But he admits it's becoming a debate as we
00:43move forward. Whether it's through social media or another trailer, how much do you give away?
00:48What can the fans piece together with this information? Ross points out there is a danger,
00:52especially for fans like him. I have a problem with trailers because I love them too much,
00:57he says. I'm one of those nerds that watches them on repeat. There's a danger to that. I think it's
01:02very safe to watch the trailer through once. If you watch it multiple times, then it can start to
01:07damage the experience. With all of the anticipation after the well-received first season, the brothers
01:12know they won't be speaking up on viewers this time. Says Matt, this is a very different feeling
01:17than last year when we were afraid that it was going to get lost. Now we know that people will
01:22watch. And of course, everyone has expectations. We will be scouring social media to see their
01:27response. Looking ahead, the duo flat out denies reports that they'll shoot seasons three and four
01:32simultaneously. I think it came from an actor, says Matt. It honestly could not have been Netflix.
01:37They know the way that Ross and I work, that it would destroy us mentally. It was not a realistic
01:42proposition ever. Of course, that means the showrunners must deal with rapidly aging kids
01:47as their core cast members. It's better to adjust the narrative to fit the ages than to try to rush
01:52the process, says Ross. Even over the course of these nine episodes, you can see them getting older.
01:58And Matt says that isn't a problem. Even if I had the choice to freeze them in time, I wouldn't.
02:03We don't want to be repeating ourselves. This show is going to naturally evolve and feel different
02:08year to year. And that to me is a good thing. The brothers also weighed in on whether the show
02:12could exist as an anthology series with different casts each season, says Ross. It's not Star Wars.
02:19You're not really creating this giant universe. Right now, it's very specific to this town of Hawkins
02:24and these kids. According to Matt, the title means it could carry over into other supernatural
02:29style stories that aren't specifically related to these events. But it's hard to know. We've spent maybe
02:3510 minutes talking about that. Ross points out that many in Hollywood look to build universes,
02:40but they don't always make sure the foundation is solid first. Matt summed up their franchise outlook
02:45saying,
02:46Let's do one good series. Then, if we don't manage to mess that up, we can talk beyond that.
02:51We don't have that J.J. Abrams gene, for good or bad. Finally, since the brothers have been in touch
02:56with Stephen King about his influence on the show, they were asked about any feedback from Steven
03:00Spielberg. I'm going to have to plead the fifth on that, says Ross. For more of Michael O'Connell's
03:06interview with the Duffer brothers, head to THR.com. And in the meantime, what are you hoping to see
03:11in season two? And are you in favor of a Stranger Things expanded universe eventually? Let us know
03:17your thoughts in the comments. For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy.
Comments