“Stranger Things” Creators Discover the Upside Down Is Actually Hopewell
HOPEWELL, Va. — During a cross-country trip to various comic-cons to promote the second season of the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things,” creators Matt and Ross Duffer were stunned to discover that the Upside Down actually exists in the town of Hopewell, Virginia.
While writing the show, the Duffer brothers imagined the Upside Down as a parallel realm to that of our own, characterized by darkness, hopelessness, and fear. They never expected to encounter the horrific place in real life.
“We were on the highway coming into Hopewell, and suddenly we both felt like Nancy when she went through the base of the tree and discovered the Upside Down for the first time,” Matt Duffer described. “It was like someone had taken all of the hope and light out of the world and replaced it with smog, despair, and this really weird smell.”
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“The air was even filled with small, floating specks,” Ross Duffer continued. “In our show that’s meant to resemble the dust and decay that characterizes the Upside Down, but apparently around here it’s just normal, dangerously harmful emissions from the Honeywell factory.”
Hopewell has been listed among the top most toxic locations in Virginia, due to factors such as the noxious emissions from the many industrial facilities located there and the city’s close proximity to the Tri-City Regional Landfill.
“We thought we had imagined a place so terrible that no human could survive there for long,” Matt Duffer said. “It was so strange to see that not only does such a world exist, but people actually choose to live there without even being threatened or chased by the Demogorgon.”
When asked what this revelation means for season three, the Duffer brothers were relatively tight-lipped, but they did admit that the town has given them inspiration. “There may or may not be a few incidents involving petty crime, teen pregnancy, health issues related to breathing in toxic air, and rodent infestation,” Ross Duffer told reporters. “We’re really trying to work on the believability of the plot, while keeping the suspenseful yet grim tone of the show. We are open to exploring a new kind of horror.”
When reached for comment, the cast of the show all came to a singular conclusion, “We’re just glad we don’t have to shoot on location.”
The Peedmont 
Yeah yall shoot on location u might get shot back at bahahahhahaha #hopewellORbust
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Do people watch this show?
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Well i like to think that you have lost your mind. I live in hopewell. I have lived here all of my life. My father has lived here all of his life , and his father was born and raised here all of his life. If you like the crowds of newyork, or California, then this is not the place for you. But it the place that we call home. Our castle. We will defend it with our last breath. It a blue color town with alot of hard working people residing there. So if you want to insult our way of living. Then stay out of hopewell. We will not miss you. Please use the 295 express way . We even encourage you to travel at tbe speed of 81 mph to go threw our town. Now have a great day. So nice to not no you from tbe place that is upside down. Fucking clowns
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You sound pretty illiterate, you can’t even spell half of the words correctly in your statement. Don’t worry, they won’t miss you anyway, you’re as good as one of those floating specks of pollution, polluting the human population with ignorance.
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Oh well
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Well damn!
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This is funny as hell as a Hopewell resident. This kind of thing is a running joke here amongst the citizens.
Nicknames for this lovely place are alternatingly Dopewell or Hopeless.
So used to gunshots nearby at night and people on drugs/openly drink around town.
That being said I love this place, it has its ups and the people are definitely entertaining here. Plus, pseudo legal weed is always a bonus!
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So idiotic. Hopewell is NOTHING like that. I grew up around Hopewell; it’s a nice small city
😬
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Thank you for you opinion Duffer brothers. The other side of your story is that there is a resurgence in Hopewell. We are receiving federal grant money because we are extremely significant to our countries history.There is alot of work being put in by our citizens to correct our downfalls. There are military bases here,churches everywhere, retail just like most other small cities. The fact of the matter is we are a thriving waterfront community. If our city is so offensive to the Duffer brothers then maybe they can find a way to help instead of criticizing. There are hundreds of struggling small cities in this counrty, how about helping instead of sitting behind your hollywood scripting passing judgement on others. We are the “others” that pay your bills, send your children to college and afford you to live the lifestyle you have. Thanks for your opinion….there is alot of filming for tv and movies that goes on in our quaint city for it to be so horrible. Funny enough to point out that our city has not been used for filming negativity but for its beauty and history.
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You are WRONG!! I’m from Hopewell and it’s exactly as they said. It’s disgusting and smells and straight GHETTO!!!
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There’s also plantations 😈
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I’m concern about the particles you saw floating in the air? I live close enough for that to affect me and my family. I also have many family members who live in Hopewell.
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Everything this article describe about this place Hopewell Virginia is truth since the seventies when I was in the military, the place have always smell terrible even today as I have moved out of the area since 1985. I have a family member that chooses to live there, the place is horrible crime is very high and nobody gives a damn. I’m a fan of strangers things and believe me take my advise you don’t want to shoot on location there you definitely will get shot at and robbed.
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If this city has such toxic heath issues why don’t someone due something about it????
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In case anyone does not understand this. It was suppose to be sarcasm…. done poorly. Look at the other articles. Fake and sarcastic as well. This is NOT a real news article. Just some garbage written by spoiled hipsters who thinks they are above everyone. Again…. Not a real article.
Hopewell has its good and bad … like all places. The people I have met there and know there are honest caring people. Yes, I live there.
Some people… the “writers” of this article…. get there jollies from making other angry or made to feel inferior to them.. You know… morons.
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Well this totally makes me not want anything to do with this show. Do us a favor and keep your asshole comments to your self. Most people who live here don’t choose to do so.
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Are you available for an interview? I’d like to get your thoughts on how this newspaper is destroying our community
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Nice place I was born at Ft Lee
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You have to be a mutation to live in Hopewell.if I had a home in hopewell and a home in hell I would sell my home in hopewell and go to hell.linda
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Its true it took many years for my mom to move from there its a terrible place to live. There is corruption in the legal system noone care about the pollution. We had no choice but to RUN from that place and pray for those that choose to stay. Wake up Hopewell residents please!!!!!
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I hope all of you that are butt hurt realize that it is a JOKE!
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Good; if I were them, I would stay miles away from Hopewell. I can’t believe people actually worship this place. After all, the city council were seconds away from removing after school programs due to ‘low funds’ (like fundraisers didn’t exist). Also, it’s boring- no enjoyment whatsoever.
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Reblogged this on sonofbluerobot.
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The comments are funnier than the article.
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The cops there are managed by an idiot, a reactive police department,not proactive, is a joke! I was a cop there in the 70s to 2003 when I retired. I could write a book about corruption and good old boys doing things. The city council is a joke and and city money is always missing. Retirees are having benefits taken away from them. The air still stinks after 30 plus years. The place is a stink hole
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Someone obviously cooked this story.
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Unfortunately I live in dopewell and I know the feeling of returning to the “upside down” every time I come back here from visiting family and friends living other places. I hate this place and seem to get into “depressed moods” the longer I’m here!! If it wasn’t for some very important people in my life that are here I’d be long gone……
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I about fell off the couch when I read this “story” I was on a crew on contract doing boiler work for about a month in 1977 at Continental Can I think it’s called. Evidently the plant was at least partially powered by tree sap squeezed out of pulp and then refined down to make a burnable tar/oil type fluid. Our job was to cut out and replace the aging boiler tubes that did the refining. It was a nasty business
The place was almost exactly like the upside down. There was some sort of feathery sawdust floating around in the air almost constantly; like snow The sap from the tubes would cause you to break out in a rash so you had to be really careful around the tubes. The “streets” in the section where we worked had curbs @ 5 inches high and twice a day or so something got back-washed and this purple liquid would run down the streets and go somewhere. there were planks laid across the streets from curb to curb so you could cross when this was going on The stuff had bright yellow soap suds like foam on top. It was surreal. On second thought maybe it was worse than the upside down only no creatures, just us lucky workers! Thanks for the memories! I’m sure you don’t know how close parody approached reality with this story!
Shame because Hopewell seems like such a naturally beautiful location.
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Hopewell, Johnstown Pa, Buffalo, New York.
Why have so many places in the country gone down the toilet?
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I definitely agree with the creators of stranger things I’m from Brooklyn I’ve been stuck down here for like eight nine months this is real I’m aspiring actor help me I can’t be no slave I got to get out of this commonplace. You need to put me on your show ASAP with a nice pay Raise 😆trust me the show would be number one better than power better than all them other shows I am the prophet of the MOST HIGH the anointed it’s part of my anointing baby!😆 🚪
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