Posted in: Netflix, Stranger Things, streaming, TV | Tagged: duffer brothers, netflix, stranger things

Stranger Things 5 Will "Focus on the OG Characters": Duffer Brothers

While the reception behind season four of Stranger Things was resoundingly positive, it's already pretty loaded with its ensemble cast. New character Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, was warmly received, but holdovers like Charlie Heaton's Jonathan Byers' development largely suffered. The show's creators, the Duffer Brothers, spoke about their challenges filming season four and goals for season five. Matt Duffer cited the success of Top Gun: Maverick as a recent example of what they're trying to achieve for the Netflix series. "[Top Gun] is not trying to do anything super fancy. It's just trying to tell a good, simple story. That's where I'm like, 'OK, this type of storytelling is still working.' That's great. That's the storytelling I love, and I don't know how to do anything else.'" The Duffers broke down how they introduced new characters and how they plan on dialing back in season five.

"Whenever we introduce a new character, we want to make sure that they're going to be an integral part of the narrative," Ross Duffer said. "So that's something with Eddie [Joseph Quinn] this season, where we go, 'Well, we need a character here for this storyline to really work and to give it the engine that is needed.' But every time we do that, we're nervous because you go, 'We've got a great cast of characters here and actors, and any moment we're spending with a new character, we're taking time away from one of the other actors.' So we're just very, very careful about who we're introducing. And then, specifically in the casting process, it took a very long time to find Joe Quinn, and you just go through so many edits because you know that we can't add someone that's going to just take away from our characters if they're not terrific."

"And the same was true with Sadie [Sink] and Maya [Hawke]. And it's not like the actors don't know [either]," Matt added. "They all know that they're coming into a cast people love, and you're introducing a new element. And you've seen it on shows go wrong, and so they're all nervous, but like Ross said, with those particular three, and Dacre [Mongomery] as well, who played Billy, it was like, because these actors are amazing, it's just really fun. I just like shaking it up, so we shake it up by changing the plot or adding in a new monster. We're doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5. We're trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess."

For more on how the Duffers handled Stranger Things' initial success, season four reactions, runtimes, filming during the pandemic, and more, you can check out the whole Indiewire interview here.

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