Not too long ago, Netflix released a cute little teaser for next year’s Stranger Things 3, the follow-up to last year’s Stranger Things 2, which hit around Halloween. Though as dark as that season got, this teaser seemed to be full of nothing but nostalgia frills, touting an impending mall on its way to Hawkins, Indiana.

After seeing a little tease like that, it may lead fans to believe that Season 3 of the show could very well be a more lighthearted story — one that capitalizes on the fun aspects of the first two seasons. If that was a concern for you after seeing that tease, then fret not. Executive producer and director Shawn Levy put our concerns to rest in his interview with The Playlist:

“That would be part of the store. but not at all representative of the season. There’s no question that, as you saw in that infomercial, Starcourt Mall is a part of season 3. As is summertime. So season 3 has a really healthy dose of poppy, bright levity and cultural fun. But I can only promise you that season 3 eventually goes places that are darker, and unquestionably more action-packed, than we’ve ever gone before. It would be a mistake for anyone to think that season 3 is the summer of fun and lightness because it’s a whole lot more than that.”

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Well, that’s pretty good to hear. And yet, if you are still worried that, at some point, the show will begin pandering to those who like to roll around in that ‘80s nostalgia, then again, fret not. It sounds like they’re not looking at much of what we, or anyone on the web, has to say about the show:

“I think in general, we are wary of reading too much of our own press. And going down the rabbit holes of fan theories and desires. I think that the only other superstition is that we got here because of a reliance on our own instincts and above all a reliance on the Duffers’ instincts. And my whole job, as both director and certainly as their executive producer, is to create a culture for our show that allows them to listen to themselves, trust each other, and execute. So my only other superstition is, don’t let the outside voices ever get too loud in our ears, because it might drown out the inner voices that got us to this point.”

I could imagine that gig could get pretty lonely, but it’s probably the most pure way to go about creating. The only time it becomes a real problem is when your own personal vision starts to divert from what your audience wants to see in a big way.

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SOURCE: The Playlist