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The Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont has come out of retirement to helm two episodes of the forthcoming fifth season of Stranger Things.
Darabont, 65, is also known for directing other Stephen King adaptations The Green Mile (1999) and The Mist (2007).
His most recent directing credit came eleven years ago in 2013 on drama series Mob City.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Darabont expressed his love for the hit Netflix series and said: “What really dragged me out of retirement was that my wife and I really love this show.
“Our content now is so filled with horrible people doing horrible things for greedy reasons but Stranger Things has so much heart. That positivity is something I really responded to.”
As to whether his work on Stranger Things would open the door to future directorial efforts, Darabond said: “Who knows? I haven’t missed the business but I have missed being on set with creative people… It may well be one and done, but we’ve still got time.”
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things has been eagerly anticipated by fans, some of whom expressed exasperation that it will not arrive on screens until 2025. The fourth season was released two years ago.
“Is anyone like dedicated to this show anymore its taken too damn long to come out LOL,” one person wrote on social media.
“Imagine taking nine years to release five seasons,” another complained, while someone else simply asked: “Can this show hurry tf up?”
“Figured this would happen but still damn,” one fan wrote.
Some have speculated that the lengthy production time is a result of the extensive special effects work needed for the new season.
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Stranger Things stars an ensemble cast including Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, and Winona Ryder, and focuses on the paranormal events surrounding an American town in the 1980s.
While the majority of stars from previous seasons of Stranger Things will be returning for the new episodes, Eduardo Franco, who appeared in season four as Argyle, won’t be one of them.
The character, a pizza delivery boy, was introduced as the best friend of Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) following the Byers family’s move from Hawkins, Indiana to California.
Despite his character becoming a fan favourite across Stranger Things’s fourth season, Franco was absent from the cast photo released earlier this year. He confirmed in an interview that he would not be returning.
An exact release date for the series is still yet to be announced.
