SDCC 2017: ‘Stranger Things’ Panel Live Blog

Joyce’s Christmas lights come onto the screen and there is some audio from Season 1 of Stranger Things. A countdown appears and the crowd goes wild.

A new teaser appears on the screen recapping the first season. The boys talk about the Demigorgon as footage rolls on. All of the characters are shown. The Halloween release date is shown.

Host Patton Oswald comes onto the stage. He teases exclusive Season 2 footage is on the way later on.

The Duffer Brothers are brought on-stage first, followed by producer/director Shawn Levy.

Patton asked how Stranger Things came about.

“What would be the ultimate long movie? It would be Steven Spielberg directing a Stephen King book with John Carpenter music, so that’s what we did.”

‘We wanted the font to look like a Stephen King paperback.”

Matt Duffer reveals that the music was tested over footage of ’80s films like E.T. and others.

Season 1 Cast Introduced

Patton brings out Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, David Harbour (Who kisses Patton on the cheek), Matthew Modine, Caleb McLoughlin, Gaten Matazzaro, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, and Millie Bobby Brown. 

Patton addresses Finn first, asking about being the mature kid on the show.

“I’m not like that in real life. It’s cool because you can access your intensities. I don’t think Mike really thinks he’s the smarter kid. He’s kind of oblivious.”

Oswald asks Schnapp how Will has changed since the Upside Down.

“Will shows more bravery, and you’ll definitely see how the Upside Down affected him.”

Oswald then turns to Gaten and Caleb about the dynamic of the group in Season 2.

“We are friends,” Caleb says trying to avoid the question. Then Caleb goes on to explain that he had to learn how to shoot the slingshot as he went along.

Harbour is asked about Chief Hopper’s story in Season 2.

“In Season 2 it’s a year later and you can’t do the same thing. One of the interesting things is that there is a psychology that comes with a heroic action. You’re going to see a wildly different arc this time, but it’s just a good. It all starts with leaving Eggos out in the woods.

“Hopper gets to do some very thrilling and sexy things in Season 2.”

Oswald addressed Natalia and Joe about their characters’ relationships. Joe Keery said that they had conversations with the Duffer Brothers after every script reading about where they were going to go next year.

New Characters

Dacre Montgomery is playing Billy, Sadie Sink is playing Max, Paul Reiser is playing Doctor Owens. 

The Duffer Brothers then introduce a new trailer from Season 2. None of the actors have seen it yet. 

Patton says, “Holy S***!” to the trailer. He begs the Duffer Brothers to show it again.

He asks Dacre about his new character.

“The Duffers wanted to play with me as a human antagonist as opposed to a monster. I hope I can be scary enough.”

It’s Paul Reiser’s turn. He won’t state if he is a villain or not. 

‘I’m basically coming from the government to clean up Brenner’s mess. Certain things happen.”

Oswald asks Sadie how her character joins the rest of the group.

“She moves to Hawkins from California.”

Audience Questions

Barb (Shannon Purser) is the first person in line to ask a question and the audience loses their minds. She asked if Barb would be back and then she joined the stage to ask again.

“No, but there will be Justice for Barb.” – David Harbour.

Gaten tells a story about a family who yelled at him for asking to wait to take a picture until he finished eating.

A young boy asks the actors about their favorite part of filming.

“In episode 5 Hopper wakes up and thinks his house is being bugged and he tears everything apart. I literally destroyed the entire apartment for over a half hour.” – Harbour

“I stole the Eggos from the supermarket. That was a really fun scene for me to film. And then the sensory deprivation scene was fun because it was such a big stunt.” -Brown

Finn and Noah say that their favorite scene was the first one that they shot – the D&D scene in the first episode.