Lord of the Rings star joins Stranger Things series 2

Sean Astin has joined the cast of Stranger Things for its second season on Netflix.

Astin is best known for his roles on epic fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, where he played pivotal sidekick Samwise Gamgee, and as teenager Mikey Walsh in the 1985 classic comedy The Goonies. Does that sound familiar to anyone?

According to Deadline, Astin will play a character called Bob Newby, who is “a kindhearted former nerd who went to high school with Joyce (Winona Ryder) and Hopper (David Harbour) and now manages the local Hawkins RadioShack”.

The Netflix hit has also announced two other names for the upcoming second season: Mad About You‘s Paul Reiser and newcomer Linnea Berthelsen.

Reiser will portray Dr. Owens, a “a high-ranking member within the Department of Energy on a ‘clean-up’ assignment, tasked with containing the events of last year”.

Meanwhile Berthelsen will take the role of Roman, “an emotionally damaged, magnetic young woman who suffered a great loss as a child.” It’s hinted Roman’s story will be related to the shady goings-on at the town’s laboratory – could Roman have a connection with the much-missed Eleven?

Stranger Things was a surprise success story for Netflix when it first premiered on the platform during July 2015. It received plaudits for its acting, story and homage to eighties horror flicks. The series told the story of a Will Byers, a boy who goes missing in a town where a sinister government agency conducts dangerous experiments.

There are no hints yet as to the plot for the second season, which is expected to be released some time in 2017.