Fans of Stranger Things will welcome the news from producer Shawn Levy that the fifth and final season of the Netflix show will showcase “major cinematic storytelling.” Levy, a Canadian director who has helmed mammoth Hollywood projects such as Free Guy and the upcoming Deadpool 3, has served as the primary producer on the show since its debut in 2016.
Speaking on continuing the saga from the last season, which had a budget of $270million, Levy told Total Film that “There’s no way to be contiguous with Season 4, and not, frankly, expand scale and depth. Stranger Things 5 is as big as any of the biggest movies that we see.”
Matt Duffer, one of the brothers who created Stranger Things, confirmed that the pace would feel different to previous seasons. “Typically, in the previous seasons, Everything wraps up in a nice bow. Four and five are really [connected] together. [With five], there’ll be no wind-up time – like even this season [four], you get to experience the kids and what they’re going through in high school before things start to escalate.”
He added, “Then it gets crazier and crazier and crazier – that’s typically the trajectory. Five, you’re just going to be right in the middle of it, so it’s going to feel very, very different.” As for the cast, it would seem like most of them are ready to say goodbye to the franchise that launched their careers.
Millie Bobby Brown, the British actor who stars as the show’s lead, Eleven, was aged 11 when Stranger Things began in 2016. Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, she admitted, “I think I’m ready. It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year.”
Joe Keery, the actor behind fav-favourite Steve, expressed, “It does feel like it’s time. It won’t be easy for it to end. I mean, I owe my whole career to being on that show, and all the opportunities that I had since are because of that show,” before adding “Everything has a beginning and the middle and an end. It’ll be nice to have the end of this too.”
It was previously announced that The Terminator actor Linda Hamilton would be joining the cast for the final season. A release date for Stranger Things 5 has yet to be confirmed; due to the ongoing writers/actors strikes, many have predicted that it won’t see a release until 2025 or even early 2026.
