Stranger Things has announced the release date of season 3 in a New Year’s Eve teaser video. Set in 1985, the video shows footage from Dick Clark’s 1984 Rockin’ New Year’s Eve special. Following the Stranger Things style, the footage appears like distorted VHS tape footage with tracking issues, and it suddenly cuts to an encrypted message that reads:  “When blue and yellow meet in the west.” There are other clues before cutting to color bars and a barrage of fireworks, then the final announcement of the release date: “One summer can change everything. July 4th 1985. July 4th 2012. July 4th 2019.”

Netflix previously released a trailer in December that revealed the title of eight upcoming episodes such as “The Mall Rats,” “The Birthday,” and “The Battle of Starcourt.” It might be a strange coincidence, but the 1984 setting happens to be the same year as Netflix’s newest big hit, Bandersnatch, the new Black Mirror interactive film. It seems that Netflix has chosen to revert to the 80’s for its new year’s resolution. Some notable new additions to the show will be Cary Elwes, best known for playing as Westley in the Princess Bride, Jake Busey, who played as Keyes in The Predator and Ace Levy in Starship Troopers, and Maya Hawke, who happens to be the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke.

Although the other two seasons have been released mainly during the fall, it seems that this summer season will still keep in tradition with the Stranger Things holiday coverage, as prior episodes included Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Needless to say, fans have been anxious for a new season, as the last one had been released in October 2017, more than a year ago. However, fans should expect the series to continue for as long as it is on Netflix, since the company has placed a larger emphasis on shows that it produces.

JULY 4 pic.twitter.com/UX9M1L02rd

— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) January 1, 2019

According to Matt Duffer, one of the Duffer brothers who created the series, “Our kids are aging. We can only write and produce the show so fast.” He likened it to the Harry Potter series, with its audience growing up along with the characters in the series: “What I like is that it makes you evolve the show. It forces the show to evolve and change, because the kids are changing. Even if we wanted it to be static and we wanted to continually recycle the same storyline — and we don’t — we would be unable to, just because the kids are changing. It’s cool, though. The audience is going to be able to watch these kids come of age every year. The closest example is Harry Potter. Watching those kids and actors grow up in front of the camera was, to me, very powerful. I mean, I wasn’t a kid when I experienced that, and I can only imagine if you were a kid and you were their age, it would have been even more powerful.”

For these reasons, fans can expect that “The Upside Down” won’t be going anywhere soon, and that more surprises are most likely on the way concerning the futures of Eleven, Will, Mike, Dustin, and the other characters fans have grown to love.

Featured Image credit: Raymond Flotat