Credit: (Left) Netflix / (Right) New Line CinemaThis Stranger Things Season 4 star is going from one nightmare to another…
With all the Stranger Things (2016) actors currently jumping ship to other franchises before the show ends with its fifth and final season (although there’s no release date as yet), it’s no surprise that yet another cast member has secured himself a new role.
As reported by Deadline, Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays the Upside Down’s “dark wizard” Vecna/One/Henry Creel in Stranger Things Season 4, will now be appearing in the reboot of cult horror Witchboard (1986), with Chuck Russell in the director’s chair.
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Given his role in Stranger Things Season 4, it’s fair to say that Bower, 34, is no stranger to the world of horror, but neither is Chuck Russell, who is best known for helming A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) — the best entry in the franchise.
Oddly enough, Bower’s Stranger Things villain has been compared to Freddy Krueger quite a bit, and it’s plain to see that all the parallels between Vecna and the dream-demon are deliberate, with the entire season even acting as an homage to Dream Warriors specifically.
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Witchboard (TBA), however, will focus on a couple named Emily and Christian and their group of friends, who together open an organic café. Sounds rather lovely, until Emily uncovers an ancient board that can call upon malevolent spirits.
With Chuck Russell at the helm, here’s to hoping he sees that Bower would make a brilliant Freddy Krueger. A new Nightmare on Elm Street film from the Dream Warriors director with the Stranger Things star in the red-and-green striped sweater? Yes, please! With that said, the director hasn’t churned out anything spooky since Bless the Child (2000), so it’s great to see him back on board for the horror genre.
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As per the Netflix website, here’s the official synopsis for Stranger Things Season 4:
It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.
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Season 4 stars Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour) (Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven/Jane Hopper), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson), Paul Reiser (Dr Sam Owens), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Matthew Modine (Papa/Martin Brenner), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), and Jamie Campbell-Bower (Vecna/One/Henry Creel).
Stranger Things Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
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There’s also a Stranger Things stage production heading to the West End titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow (2023). As per the official website, here’s the synopsis:
BEFORE THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN…
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story — and may hold the key to the end.
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There’s also an anime Stranger Things spin-off in the works.
Do you think Jamie Campbell Bower has a long future in horror? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!