Netflix Unveils Release Date, Ominous Poster For Upcoming Season Of 'Stranger Things'

Stranger Things, the Netflix smash hit, is touted as a throwback to the Amblin-tinted thrillers of the '80s. Likewise, as Season 2 approaches, the question is if the show will be able to escape the sophomore slump; horror franchises have a spotty record with sequels, to say the least. If the early word is any indication, The Duffer Brothers (the creators of the show) will tackle the issue head-on by making things even bigger and, yes, stranger.

Netflix unloaded a slew of teaser material on Tuesday, including an ominous poster of the Hawkins boys staring off into a fiery cloud formation that's replete with lightning and...tentacles? Somebody call up the National Weather Service, pronto.

There was also a teaser trailer that was decidedly unhelpful. The only new info here is that the new season will take place in 1984, about a year after the events of the first season:

As noted at The Playlist, Netflix also provided a timeline and synopsis for Season 2 that is similarly vague (but gloriously foreboding):

1953, date unknown - MKUltra comes to Hawkins and begins experimentation

1979 - Police Chief Jim Hopper returns to Hawkins

1983, November 6 - The vanishing of Will Byers

1983, November 8 - The vanishing of Barbara Holland

2016, July 15 - Part 1

2017, October 27 - Part 2

It’s 1984 and the citizens of Hawkins, Indiana are still reeling from the horrors of the demagorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down but a bigger, sinister entity still threatens those who survived.

Bigger? Stranger? Exactly the words we want to hear. It's a rare thing for a sequel to capture the aura and intrigue of its predecessor, but with the groundwork already set in place, the Duffer Brothers will have the opportunity to bypass all the usual formalities (like character origin stories) and go wild with their imaginations. As the poster and trailer mention, the next phase of Stranger Things drops on October 27, just a few days before Halloween—that should be enough time for you to figure out your new costume. Here's to an even creepier season.