No, Starcourt Mall is not a real, currently operating mall named "Starcourt Mall." It is a fictional location prominently featured in the third season of the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things.
Starcourt Mall's Fictional Identity
In the world of Stranger Things, Starcourt Mall serves as a brand-new, popular shopping destination in Hawkins, Indiana. As the third season unfolds, the mall plays a crucial role in the storyline, eventually being revealed as a secret underground Russian military base. This plot point is central to the season's conflict, with the show's protagonists discovering and attempting to thwart the nefarious activities hidden beneath the seemingly innocent mall.
The Real-Life Starcourt Mall Filming Location
While Starcourt Mall itself is fictional, its appearance in Stranger Things was brought to life using a real, existing building. The mall used for filming was Gwinnett Place Mall located in Duluth, Georgia.
Here are some key facts about the real-life location:
- Location: Duluth, Georgia.
- Status During Filming: Gwinnett Place Mall had struggled for years to attract new tenants and had largely shuttered a few months before filming for Stranger Things season three began. This allowed the production team to transform the space into the vibrant, 1980s-era Starcourt Mall without disrupting active businesses.
- Appearance: The production designers and set decorators extensively redesigned the interior and exterior of Gwinnett Place Mall to perfectly capture the retro aesthetic of a 1980s American shopping center, complete with era-appropriate storefronts, food court designs, and signage.
This practice of using real, often disused, locations to create fictional settings is common in film and television production. It allows creators to ground their fantastical narratives in tangible spaces, making the fictional worlds feel more immersive and believable for audiences. For more details on Stranger Things filming locations, you can explore resources like Afar.com.
