Stranger Things 4 will start filming in January, so when can we expect it?

It was recently revealed that Stranger Things 4 will likely begin filming in January. With that in mind, when can we expect the show’s next season?

Given the heart-wrenching season finale of Stranger Things 3 — which left fans with plenty of theories about where the show could go — the wait for details about Stranger Things season 4 has been painful. But earlier this week, TVLine revealed when the series will begin shooting its fourth season — and that means fans also have a general idea of when to expect new episodes.

According to TVLine, Stranger Things 4 is scheduled to begin filming in January, with intentions to wrap things up in August. That means we won’t be seeing the next season until the latter half of next year at the earliest. And truthfully, it’s more likely that we’ll be waiting until 2021 to return to Hawkins and find out what Eleven and the gang are up to. (Though, sadly, half of them won’t be in Hawkins anymore…)

As Collider points out, the timeline between wrapping filming and premiering on Netflix has varied from season to season, with the second season of Stranger Things becoming available only four months after shooting ended, while the third season took eight months to arrive. This means that the newest season could fall anywhere in that timeline — though it’s likely we’ll see either a holiday-season release date or a spring one.

The holidays would be a good time for the show to return, especially since the Byers family and Eleven now need a reason to return to Hawkins. We know that they’ll want to visit they’re loved ones for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and it will certainly help that the kids won’t have school. Returning to the holidays also means Joyce could have an opportunity to play with Christmas lights again — which could be a useful way of communicating with certain characters who may or may not be stuck in the Upside Down.

TVLine also shared how many episodes Stranger Things 4 will be comprised of, and it doesn’t look like fans will be getting more content just because the third season broke viewership records. The Duffer Brothers will be sticking to an eight-episode season once again — which, really, is fine. They’ve never failed to tell a complete story in just eight episodes before, and we’re confident they’ll pull it off again.

When would you like to see the fourth season of Stranger Things premiere? Sound off in the comments.