Go behind the scenes of Stranger Things 3

Stranger Things 3 came and went a couple weeks back, but don’t worry: there’s plenty more to learn about the epic third season, much of it coming courtesy of a new podcast called…drum roll…  Behind the Scenes: Stranger Things 3!

Entertainment Weekly breaks down some of the highlights from the first episode here. It includes interviews with the showrunners and crew, and after listening, I have to say I’m impressed.

The third season of the show revolves largely around one central location: the Starcourt Mall. The mall was not created on a set, but rather inside of an actual mall in Duluth, Georgia. This particular mall first opened in 1984 and had the exact ambiance and feel that the Duffer brothers were going for. Thanks to some old photos, around 40 stores were redesigned to mimic the mall in its golden age, and were fully stocked regardless if they appeared onscreen or not.

You can imagine how difficult designing such a large space would be. Art director Sean Brennan shared just how hectic it was and how amazing it felt when all was said and done:

"It was so exhausting. Finally knowing that we had made it, it was just like, f— me. It was 16 weeks of like extreme pressure and fear and worry and hoping that you got it right and we did. We got it right."

I wasn’t really present for the ’80s, but I remember malls still being a big deal during my childhood in the ’90s, and Stranger Things 3 took me right back to that period. I didn’t realize how much I missed Waldenbooks until I saw it again onscreen.

RELATED PRODUCT

San Francisco Giants Game Of Thrones Ice Dragon Bobblehead

Buy Now!

Buy Now!

The podcast also goes into Eleven and Max’s shopping spree, which was one of my favorite parts of season 3. It was very exciting to watch Eleven, who’s so used to being buttoned down and contained, run free around the mall with her friend. And I lot of what Eleven did in that scene was influenced by actor Millie Bobby Brown, according to costume designer Amy Parris.:

"What would a girl who was so sheltered and living on in a cabin wear when she gets out into the real world and gets to go to the mall and buy her own clothes? [Brown] was the one that I felt like I relied on the most to tell me how [Eleven] felt. We’d try on stuff and there were things that she didn’t love and we used that in the montage. The way she reacts to the clothing is how she really felt about the clothes."

That was also the sequence where Eleven dumped Mike (Finn Wolfhard). Speaking to Metro, Brown revealed that she had some misgivings with that development when she read the scripts. “I was like ‘hmmm, ok, well here’s the thing… no.’ I didn’t say that but I was so, so not okay with it.”

"Because obviously I want them to be together, I mean, she’s so in love with him and he’s so in love, it’s such a cute little storyline and they’re so cute together.And he loved her, no matter what she looked like, no matter what she said, no matter what she did, he still loved her and that is just the perfect boy. To love you for whoever you are.I was really excited for them to be together and then when they broke up, I was like “okay, when are they gonna make up because they need to.”’"

There’s plenty more discussed in the podcast, but we’ll leave it to you to hear what the gang had to say about Steve’s, the food court uniforms, and more! You can check out the first episode on Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else podcasts are available.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels