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Credit: NetflixIf you are a fan of Stranger Things, we have an update that will clear up when you can expect to see the franchise up and running again.
Stranger Things has dominated pop culture and entertainment for nearly eight years now. Ever since the Duffer brothers pitched their show about a 1980’s demon-filled drama to Netflix, we have been enthralled with the inner workings of the Upside Down, and Eggo waffles. Right now, Stranger Things season five is filming, and it is set to be the final season of the series, and also, the most anticipated one at that.
With Stranger Things season four breaking records with billions of hours of watch time in 2022, two years later, fans are desperately wanting to know what happens next and how the show will conclude. The reveal was set to come much sooner than it is, but then, the SAG-AFTRA strike turned the entertainment industry on its head, shutting down everything for over 100 days. Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos did promise that work on Stranger Things would pick up as soon as it could, and it did.
Netflix announced weeks ago that Stranger Things had returned to filming, and since then, we have even seen on-set shots of Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbor, Sadie Sink, and more with the cast hyping up the storyline of the final season, warning fans that it will not disappoint.
This delay, however, did affect a possible 2024 release date, as it has now been confirmed that the show will wrap on December 22, 2024.
Stranger Things experts Stranger Things Spoilers (@SThingsSpoilers) shared the wrap date on X.
Filming for #StrangerThings5 is now reportedly expected to wrap on December 22nd.
Filming for #StrangerThings5 is now reportedly expected to wrap on December 22nd. pic.twitter.com/mv0mmpNmcx
— Stranger Things Spoilers (@SThingsSpoilers) March 16, 2024
Previously, we did know that Millie Bobby Brown would be shooting until December as she noted she still has nine months of filming with Eleven, but her wrap date did not necessarily mean the show would wrap with her. Now, we have a solid timeline for the entire season.
Recently, we shared the 2024 Netflix highlight reel, which showed that Bridgerton season four and Squid Game season two would be two of the major shows to debut this year, but of course, Stranger Things was not included. Many have been speculating if that meant a 2024 release date was no longer in the cards. Now, it is clear that with post-production, the show will not return to Netflix until late 2025 at the earliest, and potentially even 2026.
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” the Duffer Brothers wrote on social media when they announced the final season. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four but — as you’ll see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; Season 5 will be the last.”
During an appearance on Good Morning America in October 2022, Millie opened up about her thoughts on the show ending. “It’s gonna be hard, of course. It’s like my high school, I grew up on the show. They’re like my school friends. You know, it’s gonna be hard. But I’m never gonna not see them again, and I’m sure Netflix will make it last for as long as it can, and … it is just so much a part of my career and so formative, and I’ll always remember my experience with Stranger Things.”
Recently, we heard that Millie knows how her character’s journey will conclude, but not how the show will end. We do know that Linda Hamilton was cast to play an older version of Eleven.
Before the debut of season 4, Millie sparked conversation by advocating for more character deaths during an interview with The Wrap in May 2022. In the interview, Millie and Noah Schnapp, who portrays Will, engaged in a lighthearted exchange where Millie suggested Noah’s character should meet his demise, to which Noah chuckled and responded with a playful “no,” albeit conceding, “I mean I guess at the end.” Millie then expressed a collective apprehension among the cast about character deaths, prompting Noah to remark, “One of us will die. Or more. They need to kill off some people. The cast is so big.”
Echoing Noah’s sentiment, Millie concurred, emphasizing the large ensemble cast. She humorously recounted a recent instance where capturing a group photo proved challenging due to the sheer number of cast members. Noah humorously proposed a dramatic solution of a “massacre scene” to trim the cast size. However, the duo concluded their banter with a playful plea to the Duffer Brothers not to heed their suggestions.
The ensemble cast includes Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Cara Buono, Matthew Modine, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson and Brett Gelman.
Are you excited to see season 5 of Stranger Things in 2025?