‘Stranger Things’ season 5: everything we know so far

It’s almost time to head back to the Upside Down for one final time as the kids from Hawkins face the ultimate showdown with demon Vecna.

Stranger Things, the global phenomenon and jewel in the Netflix crown, is set to go out with a bang.

A mix of the global pandemic and Hollywood strikes has made the wait between seasons feel longer than ever, but finally things are picking up speed faster than Kate Bush can run back up that hill. 

To mark filming for the final outing hitting the halfway point, Netflix has released a behind-the-scenes clip of the cast and crew getting to work. While the sneak peek is light on plot details, there’s still plenty to get excited about.

Here’s all we know so far about the fifth – and final – season of Stranger Things. 

When’s Stranger Things Season 5 on Netflix?

We’ve still got a while to wait. The final season of Stranger Things was due to enter production in 2023, with actor David Harbour previously suggesting it would hit screens around July 2024.

Well, fast forward to the present day and filming is only halfway through, due in part to the strike of Hollywood actors and writers in 2023. 

Filming finally commenced in January 2024 and it was confirmed on 15 July that production was at the halfway point. Add this to Millie Bobby Brown’s claim that filming will continue around Christmas, and the huge amount of special effects used in Stranger Things, then don’t expect the final battle for Hawkins to hit screens until well into 2025.

The episodes will be ‘mini movies’

Another reason for the long production schedule could be because the series is going out with a bang. 

Each episode of the final series is said to be seriously long, with actor Maya Hawke describing them as ‘eight movies’.

As the global success of Stranger Things reached new heights, the episode lengths have increased. The first series never went past the 55-minute mark, whereas the season four finale reached a staggering 142 minutes in length. 

We already know how Season 5 starts and some plotlines.

To celebrate ‘Stranger Things Day’ – November 6 – the writers shared the first lines of the script for the final season’s opening episode. 

The episode, titled ‘The Crawl’, opens in darkness with the sound of wind rushing through groaning trees as a child’s voice begins to sing a familiar song. 

Could that familiar song be the return of Kate Bush anthem ‘Running Up That Hill’, a huge hit upon its original release in 1985, the track became a global phenomenon after it was featured throughout the fourth season of Stranger Things.

We’ve also got an idea of what else will be covered in the final season, with show runners the Duffer brothers promising a satisfying conclusion to all the characters as they revisit the original friendship groups from the very first episodes.

Season 5 will further explore the origins of big-bad Vecna and bring Will Byers to the forefront, bringing everything full circle from the first season when he was trapped in the Upside Down.

There is also been talk of a time jump, due in part to delays caused by Covid and the Hollywood strikes, meaning the lead cast are now in their twenties, despite playing high school students in the series. 

There’s a bunch of new faces in the cast.

Linda Hamilton (The OG Sarah Connor) will make her Stranger Things debut in season 5, although her role remains top secret for now. One thing that isn’t a secret, is how much of a fan Hamilton is of the Netflix show. ‘I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time,’ she said when her casting was announced last year.

Other newcomers to the cast include Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux. No info yet on who they will portray in the series, but given they are all very young, it could likely be flashback scenes to Vecna’s childhood in the 1950s. 

They will join regular cast members including Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), David Harbour (Hopper) and Winona Ryder (Joyce) as the final battle against Jamie Campbell Bowyer’s baddie Vecna takes place.

Some brilliant directors are at the helm for the final season. 

Frank Darabont will be directing at least one episode of Stranger Things, having made his name on classic films The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, based on the Stephen King novel.

Darabont already knows his way around a blockbuster horror series, having served as writer, director and producer on The Walking Dead.

Shawn Levy, director of Deadpool & Wolverine, will also step behind the camera for an episode of the final season. 

Don’t expect a trailer anytime soon.

Netflix has previously unveiled trailers for Stranger Things six or so weeks ahead of release. With the final series not expected to drop until 2025, it’s unlikely we will see anything this year outside of behind-the-scenes clips.

There is a link to the West End theatrical production.

Fans have been speculating on crossover storylines ever since ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ opened in London’s West End in 2023.

The play is set 24 years before events of the first season and show the arrival of Henry Creel, who would later become the demonic creature known as Vecna, trapped in the Upside Down.

‘You’ll have the most fun watching season five if you’ve also watched the play,’ writer Kate Trefry told Time Out. ‘Season five also deals with Vecna’s past in a really interesting way, which is totally interwoven with the play.’

The final series won’t be the end of Stranger Things. 

Fear not, there’s life in Stranger Things beyond the final season. 

Not only is the theatre production still going strong in London, but it’s due to open on Broadway in the near future. 

There’s also reports of several spin-off shows, including an untitled animated series in the works. 

Stranger Things: The First Shadow - everything you need to know.

The best Netflix series to binge.