The upcoming "Stranger Things" Season 2 will not involve Stephen King apparently. This is indeed a disappointment to fans who were hoping that the iconic master writer of horror would lend his touch to the second season of Netflix's series.
There were previous speculations that the prolific horror writer would be penning a few episodes of "Stranger Things" Season 2. These rumors then fueled excitement among the show's fan base who are most likely Stephen King fans as well.
However, a recent interview with a "Stranger Things" Season 2 cast member just confirmed otherwise. When asked to comment about Stephen King's rumored involvement in some episodes next season, actor David Harbour, who plays Chief Jim Hopper in the series, denied the speculations saying they are not true, TMZ reported. To support his answer, Harbour points out that filming for the second season has already started and, as far as he knows, King is not involved.
References to Stephen King's past works are abundant in the first season of "Stranger Things." For example, writing about children as they deal with the supernatural has been some sort of trademark for the master horror writer, according to Mashable.
For instance, the plot of "The Body," "Dreamcatcher" and "It" all involved children nearing their adolescent years forming a tightly knit group to meet supernatural challenges. In this context, the four main characters of "Stranger Things" could easily pass as Stephen King characters as well.
Another similarity between Netflix's "Stranger Things" and Stephen King novels is the story of a special girl running away from a secretive branch of the government. The series' telekinetic character Eleven is actually similar to the character the pyrokinetic girl Charlie McGee in the "Firestarter" novel, who was eventually portrayed by a young Drew Barrymore in the film.
In addition, the characters in the Netflix series as well as King's "The Mist" have to deal with a supernatural threat thrust unto them by the government. Both situations are the result of a failed government experiment which unleashed creatures from another dimensions into the world.
With so many similarities between Stephen King's novels and the "Stranger Things" series, horror fans have been expecting the author to eventually become involved in the show. However, it may not happen next season yet because, as Harbour already explained, the writing work has probably been finished by now.