Photo Credit: Getty Images
The wait is nearly over: Stranger Things returns this November for its fifth and final season, and the cast says fans should prepare for the most intense chapter yet.
In a newly released behind-the-scenes featurette, the stars and creators of the Netflix phenomenon reflected on nearly a decade of storytelling while teasing what's ahead for Hawkins. "This is the biggest season we've ever had — in terms of action, in terms of visual effects, in terms of story," co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed. "Ultimately, what people want is — they want to see these characters together one last time."
The video revisits the show's 2016 debut, when Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, and Caleb McLaughlin were just kids. Schnapp recalled, "We were just a bunch of random kids from different places that just loved our characters. We loved the story." Winona Ryder called watching the young cast grow up "the biggest gift that this show has given me," while Charlie Heaton noted, "We've grown up as a family."
As the footage shifts toward season 5, the cast makes clear that the stakes have never been higher. Brown teased, "It's more of an adventure and more of a mission, which I really like. Everybody is really put into the thick of it. No one is sitting back on a walkie-talkie. Everyone is full throttle, going for it." Wolfhard agreed, calling it "the highest stakes that the show has ever been." McLaughlin added, "We've come full circle. The fans will be truly satisfied with the ending."
The season's official synopsis sets the tone: "As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."
Brown admitted wrapping filming was emotional. On her last day, she read a letter to the cast and crew before realizing she was "not fine," later telling Today, "I cried a lot." Still, she urged fans to "be patient," promising the Duffers' vision will be worth the wait.
Stranger Things season 5 will be released in three parts: Volume 1 arrives November 26, Volume 2 on December 25, and the series finale on December 31.
