“Stranger Things” is no stranger to blockbuster-level success.

Reports from Netflix show the fourth season of the Georgia-lensed sci-fi thriller smashed records for the best premiere for an English-language series on the platform. The show racked up 286.79 million hours of viewing time worldwide from May 25-May 27. (That’s 32,738 years!)

And this is just the first installment: The second half of the two-part series is set to be released July 1.

The success of “Stranger Things” dwarfs that of the previous record holder, which boasted 193 million viewing hours during its early-2022 opening weekend.

While “Stranger Things” is a boon for Netflix, it also pays to be the state where much of the filming took place. The show returned to Georgia, spending a hefty amount that rivals many big-budget feature films, to continue its saga about a group of friends and supernatural events.

Want to learn more about the impact of having this binge-worthy show filmed in Georgia? Here’s a breakdown of “Stranger Things” season 4 by the numbers.

Stick around for the credits at the end of the show – many belong to Georgians who could be your neighbors!

Production’s 359 Days in Georgia Generated Millions for Local Economies

Georgia’s entertainment industry is booming thanks to productions like “Stranger Things:” In 2021, movie and TV productions climbed to a new record of $4.1 billion in direct spending from 366 productions.

According to The Wall Street Journal, this summertime sensation had an enormous budget of $30 million per episode, with the lion’s share of that spending occurring right here in Georgia. This influx of dollars was spent on crew and extras, studio space, construction and rentals, off duty officers, hotel rooms, transportation, local permit fees, and other expenses and amounted to a direct spend of more than $190 million.

In addition to hiring an estimated 2,080 local crew members, “Stranger Things’” production spent nearly a year’s worth of days filming in the state.

Some other estimated spending highlights:

• Car rentals, transportation, and airfare: over $3 million

• Cast, crew, and extras: over $127 million

• Wardrobe, hair, and makeup: over $800,000

• Hotel nights: 15,603 days, over $1.9 million

Season 4 Filmed at Over 40 Locations in and Around Atlanta

Film tourism brings thousands to the state every year to view TV and movie landmarks from hits like “The Walking Dead” series and “Forrest Gump,” and “Stranger Things” is no exception.

For season 4, production took place in more than 40 locations in 19 cities around the state. Notable sites include Berry College in Rome (Pennhurst Asylum), as well as a return to Tiffany’s Kitchen in Lithia Springs, (Benny’s Burgers), Patrick Henry High School in Stockbridge (Hawkins High School), and the City of Jackson (featured as the fictional Hawkins, Indiana downtown).

Popular stops along film tours featuring locations from previous seasons include the Piggly Wiggly in Palmetto that stood in for Bradley’s Big Buy (where Eleven steals her Eggo waffles), as well the former Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth (Starcourt Mall), Bellwood Quarry in Atlanta (Sattler Quarry), Emory University’s Briarcliff campus in Atlanta (Hawkins National Laboratory), Stone Mountain Park (Hawkins Woods), and Sleepy Hollow Farm in Powder Springs (the pumpkin farm and Hopper’s cabin).

Visit this Atlanta Magazine article for a more comprehensive list of Georgia’s “Stranger Things” filming locations.

View Explore Georgia’s ideas to inspire your next trip: Film Tours & Itineraries.

Show’s Continued Success Brings Great Returns for the Peach State

When a show as widely viewed and critically acclaimed as “Stranger Things” is filmed in the state, it promotes Georgia as a film destination, putting it on the map for future projects.

The show has received numerous nominations and awards, including:

• 31 Primetime Emmy Award nominations; six wins

• Four Golden Globe Award nominations

• Six MTV Movie & TV Awards

• Three People’s Choice Awards

• Three Grammy Award nominations

• One Screen Actors Guild Award

Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, is the most-nominated member of the cast with 28 nominations and 12 awards.

With this continued success, the show is set to return for a fifth and final season, but there is no word yet on when (or where) filming will begin.

Curious about all things Georgia film? Follow the Georgia Film Office on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and check out our list of what’s currently filming in Georgia.