Francesca Reale will be guarding lives on Stranger Things

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Moving from one Netflix series over to another, Haters Back Off! cast member Francesca Reale has signed on to play a recurring role in the upcoming third season of Stranger Things, which is now filming.

Reale's Stranger Things character is Heather, "a popular lifeguard at the Hawkings community pool" who will apparently become an important part of the mystery at the center of the season.

While the first season of the show was set in December of 1983 and the second around Halloween 1984, the fact that Heather is working at the community pool indicates that it will be summer in the third season. The summer of 1985.

Reale joins a cast that includes returning stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Dacre Montgomery, Charlie Heaton, Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, Winona Ryder, and David Harbour, as well as fellow new additions Maya Hawke, Jake Busey, and Cary Elwes.

Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers have said the characters will still be dealing with the supernatural creature known as the Mind Flayer in the new season, as it continues to lurk in the Upside Down dimension.

They've shut the door on the Mind Flayer, but not only is it still there in the Upside Down, it's very much aware of the kids, and particularly Eleven. It had not encountered her and her powers until that final episode (of season 2). Now, it knows that she's out there."

Netflix has not yet announced a premiere date for season 3.