Stranger Things Season Two: Everything We Know

This post attempts to list all the information we have about Season Two, and will continually be updated with new information as it is revealed.

LATEST UPDATE 10/08: Eleven will return for season two.

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Production

By the end of August, they had a broad understanding of the season and knew all the big moves and ideas, and writing was in process. [Shawn Levy, The Hollywood Reporter]
The actors had received the first couple of scripts by early October. [David Harbour, Comic Con]
Filming is expected to take place from October 2016 to April 2017.

Episodes

Season 2 will consist of nine episodes, the titles of which were revealed in the trailer.

"MadMax"
"The Boy Who Came Back to Life"
"The Pumpkin Patch"
"The Palace"
"The Storm"
"The Pollywog"
"The Secret Cabin"
"The Brain"
"The Lost Brother"

Setting

Season 2 will "venture a litte bit outside of Hawkins," and the opening scene takes place outside Hawkins. [Duffer Brothers, EW]

Storylines

A logline for the season read "When terrifying supernatural forces once again begin to affect Hawkins, they realize Will's disappearance was only the beginning, and so the adventure continues..." [The Hollywood Reporter]
The Upside Down will be explored further. The gate in Hawkins Lab is still open and "there’s a lot more mystery there to be solved." [Duffer Brothers, EW]
More details about Hopper's daughter, Sarah, will be revealed. [David Harbour, Comic Con]
The Nancy/Steve/Jonathan love triangle will continue. [David Harbour, Comic Con]

New Characters

Season 2 will introduce a handful of new characters spanning a range of ages. [Shawn Levy, The Hollywood Reporter]
Four new characters will be introduced. [Duffer Brothers, EW]
Three characters were revealed in a casting breakdown: [The Hollywood Reporter]
Max: Series regular. 13-year-old girl. Tough and confident, with appearance, behavior and pursuits more typical of boys than girls in the era. Has a complicated history and difficult relationship with stepbrother Billy, making her protective of her past and suspicious to people. Good on a skateboard, which she uses to get around everywhere.
Roman: Series regular. Male or female aged 30-38. An outsider who doesn't understand how to connect with people. Grew up homeless with a drug-addicted mother, suffered a great loss at an early age and is seeking revenge.
Billy: Potential series regular. 17-year-old boy. Super muscular, overconfident, captivating and edgy. Steals girlfriends, is a drinking-game pro and drives a black Camaro. Has a violent and unpredictable nature, revealed to those closest to him, especially those who are younger. Rumored to have killed someone at a previous school.

Old Characters

Barb is dead and will not return to Season 2, but there will be justice for her character.
It is strongly suggested that we will see Dr. Brenner again, and he did not die in season one.
It is heavily implied that Eleven will return, with Millie Brown letting it slip that she received scripts and will be back in Atlanta for filming. [Millie Brown, Comic Con]

Crew

Writers from season one have been kept, including Justin Doble and Jessie Nickson, while the writer's assistant was promoted to staff writer. They have added "just a very little bit of fresh eyes and fresh blood." [Shawn Levy, The Hollywood Reporter]

Influences

Season two will take inspiration from blockbuster sequels. [Duffer Brothers, EW]
The Duffers listed James Cameron's sequels as influences, specifically Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Aliens (1986) and Terminator 2 (1991) [Duffer Brothers, EW]
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [Shawn Levy, The Hollywood Reporter]