Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque Journal
Extras casting has been going on for months for the fourth season of “Stranger Things.”
On Wednesday, the New Mexico Film Office announced that the upcoming season of the popular Netflix series is filming in New Mexico through August.
“We welcome the iconic Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’ to New Mexico and are happy to report the show will employ over 1,000 New Mexicans,” said Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director. “The New Mexican upside-down fan base cannot wait to catch glimpses of the Land of Enchantment when Season 4 is released on Netflix in 2022.”
According to the New Mexico Film Office, the production is employing approximately 325 New Mexico crew members, 70 New Mexico principal cast members, and 700 New Mexico background and extras.
For the uninitiated, “Stranger Things” has been described as “a love letter to the ’80s classic genre films” and is set in the “seemingly normal” town of Hawkins, Indiana. It stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown.
New Mexico landed the current season when the production moved from Atlanta.
“We first broke the news that ‘Stranger Things’ would be filming its fourth season in New Mexico at the Deadline Hollywood HotSpots Conference in March 2020,” said Alicia J. Keyes, New Mexico Economic Development Department Cabinet Secretary. “Not only are we excited to see New Mexico locations and talent on full display in this series, but also we are interested in the film tourism that could potentially follow. We enthusiastically welcome the entire team with open arms.”
“Stranger Things” was created by The Duffer Brothers and is produced by Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment.
The Duffer Brothers serve as executive producers on the series, alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps Entertainment, and Iain Paterson.
Production on the fourth season was halted in 2020 due to the pandemic.
In March 2020, Brown included Santa Fe in her move to donate to the communities where the Netflix series has filmed. The teenage star donated 20,000 meals to The Food Depot in Santa Fe.
She posted on Instagram at the time, “My thoughts are with the great people and crew from Santa Fe, NM, whom we didn’t yet get to meet in our company move on ‘Stranger Things.’ In appreciation of this community, my family and I have donated 20,000 meals to The Food Depot, which will provide meals for those hungry in the northern New Mexico service area.”
