The final season of Stranger Things will be “like season one on steroids”. showrunner Matt Duffer has said.
In an interview with The Guardian, alongside his brother Ross, Duffer said: “It’s the biggest it’s ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone’s back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season one.
“And, yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here. That’s it…”
So what can fans expect from the final season, and when might it air? Find out what we know below.
What will the plot be for Stranger Things series five?
Jamie Campbell Bower has confirmed a return as Vecna but the crux of series five is likely to be the character arc of Will Byers.
Ross Duffer, who co-directed series four, told Variety: "Will really takes centre stage again in [season] five.
“This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together. Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality – it’s Will coming into his own as a young man."
Series five will also mainly focus on the original cast, with Millie Bobby Brown and Finn Wolfhard likely to return to screens in the series that made them stars.
Speaking to TVLine, Duffer said: “I’m sure we will do a time jump.”
“It’s going to feel a lot larger in scale than season one, but we wanna go back to a lot of things we did in season one, a lot of original groupings and pairings – there’s something nice about coming full scale.
“It’s gonna feel bigger than season one, much more massive in terms of the stakes and the scale, but we wanna revisit a lot of things we did in season one.”
He continued: “I think that what we’re trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit in the tone of [season] one, but scale-wise it’s more in line with what [season] four is.”
“Hopefully it’s got a little bit of everything.”
Will season five be the last?
It has been confirmed that season five will be the last season of the show but the show’s creators have already announced a spin-off series: “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. 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 soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling towards our finale.
“Season four will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.”
When will season five start filming?
Filming for season five was meant to start in May or June, according to cast members, but the Duffer brothers – the show’s directors – said everything was put on hold until the Writers’ Guild of America strike was over.
On June 4, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), which represents film and television directors, said that it had reached a provisional agreement with Hollywood’s main studios to stop a possible work shortage.
As a result, production of the final season will begin in January 2024.
When is it due to be released?
There is no official release date yet. However, speaking to JoBlo Celebrity Interviews, actor David Harbour suggested that it could take around eight to nine months to film the final season of the show. This means it’s probably not likely to be released until late next year, or early 2025.
Additionally, Finn Wolfhard recently sparked speculation that fans might have to wait until 2025 for the fifth season, having said he will be 22 by the time it’s released. His 22nd birthday will fall on December 23, 2024.
In a GQ interview, Wolfhard said: “By the time it comes out, I will be 22, I think. I will be able to drink with Gaten and Caleb and Noah at the premiere of Stranger Things 5.”
