Stranger Things Season 3 Is Here!

July 4 Update: Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for, Stranger Things 3 is out now on Netflix!

If you're aching to go back to Hawkins, Indiana, to visit Eleven, the Byers family, Chief Hopper, Mike and the rest of the crew, we've got good news.

The good news, Netflix has delivered that third season, and The Duffer Brothers (showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer) have said the show has one or two more after that. 

When is Stranger Things Season 3 Coming Out?

Today (July 4) the entire new season of Stranger Things arrived here, so you can watch it in between hot dogs. We’ve also got a trailer! Check it out here:

On Dec. 31, a video from Netflix, posted to YouTube, provided a firm launch date for the third season of Stranger Things. After the clip, which places us at New Year's Eve, as Dick Clark's about to ring in 1985, a message states "ONE SUMMER CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING..." before showing "JULY, 4, 1985" which then changes to "JULY 4, 2019," the release date.

Before we knew this date, Stranger Things star David Harbour told Variety that we'd have to wait for 2019, because of the time it takes for the Duffer brothers to write the scripts. He wasn't complaining, though, noting "they just sit in their apartment and write for 12, 14 hours per day."

Collider reported that the third season began filming on April 23.

Well, any casting news about Season 3?

Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) and Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) were the first-announced new cast members for the new season. The former will play the sleazy mayor of the fictional town of Hawkins, while the latter is a reporter with equally questionable morals.

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Priah Ferguson — who portrayed Lucas’ little sister Erica — will now be a series regular. Maya Thurman-Hawke has joined the cast as an alternative girl bored with her day job, and Francesca Reale (Haters Back Off!) is joining the streaming series in the role of Heather, a lifeguard working at the Hawkings community pool.

Are Stranger Things books coming?

Yep, this fall, expect two titles — a behind-the-scenes book and a gift book for children — to bring the Duffer brothers' reality to the printed page. Then, in spring of 2019, a Stranger Things novel will debut.

This news comes from Deadline, which reports that Stranger Things: World Turned Upside Down will give fans a look at life on the set of the show, while a to-be-titled book for children will provide "advice, wisdom, and warnings from the Stranger Things world."

But I want to watch, not read!

Then we've got 82 seconds of original content for you: Bob (Sean Astin) and Mews (the cat) reunited in this video. Of course, it's got spoilers for Season 2, so don't click Play unless you're ready!

Credit: Netflix

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.