'Stranger Things' season 2 spoilers: Show will tap into 'Harry Potter' formula; Matt Duffer promises #justiceforbarb

Promotional photo for the Netflix show "Stranger Things." Netflix

While Netflix's hit series "Stranger Things" was originally intended as an anthology series, Matt Duffer — co-creator of the show — said that season 2 will now be more like a sequel and answer the questions fans asked themselves after the  end of the first season.

According to Duffer, the series will progress in a "Harry Potter"-like fashion wherein viewers will be able to see the progression of the characters as they grow older.

"Season 2 would function almost more like a sequel than it would 'Season 2.' It's weird to compare it, but I like that you're revisiting these characters and these kids and watching them grow up on a year-to-year basis," he said.

He added that it means that the show will pick up in 1984, a year after the events of the first season and viewers should expect films from that year to be heavily referenced.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the show's executive producer Shawn Levy also confirmed additional cast members like Max, Roman and Billy. Max and Billy will be series regulars.

Based on the character descriptions, Max is a "tough and confident 13-year-old female"; Billy is a "super muscular, overconfident 17-year-old," and Roman is "a male or a female of any ethnicity between the ages of 30 and 38."

Meanwhile, for those wondering whether Barb is still alive somewhere in the Upside Down, Matt Duffer advises fans not to keep their hopes up but instead reast assured that the bespectacled best friend of Nancy will be given some form of justice.

"We'll make sure there's some justice for Barb. People get very frustrated, understandably, that the town doesn't seem to be really dealing with Barb. That stuff is all happening. We're just not spending any screen time on it," he said.

No release date has been announced for the show's second season, but fans remain hopeful that it will match the level of excitement that the first season generated.

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