Almost ten years after the premiere of one of Netflix’s biggest hits, find out what to expect from the series’ final eight episodes
One of the most iconic series in Netflix, Stranger Things has accumulated more than 230 nominations and 70 awards — including Emmys and the SAG Award of Best Cast in a Drama Series. In 2025, this story will finally come to an end, nine years after the premiere of the first season on July 15, 2016.
The plot begins with the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), age 11, in the small fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s. Willhis mother (Winona Ryder) and the chief of police (David Harbor) begin an investigation to solve this mystery, but in the process, deeper revelations come to light.
The production created a complex mythology, which includes the ghostly dimension of the Upside Down, supernatural creatures and a secret government project that armed children with psychic powers, from which the character escapes. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown).
The series reached the Top 10 most watched ranking in all 93 countries in which the series Netflix exists. The fourth season, released in 2022, was the first English-language series to surpass 1 billion hours streamed, and remains the third most popular TV title on streaming.
Behind the cameras are the brothers Matt and Ross Duffer. Now, they are determined to deliver eight final episodes that provide a complete resolution to all strands of the narrative, which today encompasses 21 characters. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve lost a plot — it all connects,” he said. ross in an interview with Variety.
THE Netflix released, this Thursday, the 30th, the official trailer for the fifth and final season of Stranger Thingsrevealing the first visuals of the plot. Below, check out everything we know about the launch.
See this photo on InstagramA post shared by Stranger Things Netflix (@strangerthingstv)
Who is in the cast of Stranger Things season five?
The main cast of Stranger Things remains. We will see stars like Winona Ryder, David Harbor, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp. Other notable names return, such as Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery.
For the last season, the big news about the cast is Linda Hamiltonwho played Sarah Connor in the franchise The Terminator.
What is the story of Stranger Things season five?
In the last season, the narrative begins with a time jump of 18 months after the rupture of the Upside Down by Vecnaat the end of the fourth season. This is the biggest jump ever made in the series and was implemented, in part, to align the actors’ ages with their characters.
In the fall of 1987, Hawkins is under military quarantine due to the opening of the Rifts, with restricted movement and military posts blocking exit roads. Therefore, all the characters, previously dispersed, come together again. Second Mike (Finn Wolfhard), the group is “starting to lose its mind” due to confinement.
Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) has disappeared, but his presence remains a threat and Eleven still needs to hide. The core group — Mike, Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Luke (Caleb McLaughlin), Will and other allies — wants, for the last time, to meet the monster again and save the city.
The trailer picks up some threads from the fourth season. Max (Sadie Sink) had been attacked by Vecna and fell into a deep coma. In one of the scenes, Luke tries to rescue her from the hospital, unconscious, while monsters from the Upside Down approach. The video also shows Vecna levitating Will and dragging him through flames, saying, “William, you will help me one last time.”
What did the creators say about Stranger Things season five?
On social media, fans speculate which characters will emerge from the final battle alive. “I think what makes this season unique is that it starts off a little chaotic, because our heroes ended up losing at the end of Season 4,” he said. Ross Duffer in an interview with the blog Tudumfrom the Netflix. “Normally, we show them their normal lives and how they’re doing at school, and then we introduce the supernatural element. But in this case, this season is off to a flying start.”
In the final chapters of Stranger Thingsthe duo guarantees that they will answer one of the biggest mysteries of the entire series in detail: “what the Upside Down is about”.
Regarding the ending of the series, Matt Duffer commented to Variety: “We’ve more or less known what the final scene would be for years — it wasn’t something we had any difficulty creating. There were elements we discussed for weeks, but the central idea of the ending we had had for a long time.”
How long are Stranger Things season 5 episodes?
With all the characters focused on Hawkins, the episodes became shorter, most lasting around an hour. However, episode 4 will have an extended runtime of 83 minutes, and the series finale will be a special event lasting approximately two hours.
What is the budget for the fifth season of Stranger Things?
The exact budget was not revealed, but the brothers Duffer stated to Variety who wanted to spend “as much as possible to realize the vision of what is on paper”. A report from Puck estimates the value to be between 50 and 60 million dollars per episode.
After the fifth season, will there be more Stranger Things productions?
THE Netflix is already expanding the series’ universe with spin-offs and derivatives, including an animated series titled Tales from ’85which explores parallel stories in Hawkins. There is also a play in London, The First Shadowwhich tells the origin of the universe of Stranger Things.
You Duffer brothershowever, will move away from production. They reached an exclusive four-year agreement with Paramountwhich will begin after the end of the contract with the Netflixin April 2026. The main reason for the change was the brothers’ desire to direct and produce works for cinema, as well as projects for TV and streaming.
When do Stranger Things season 5 episodes release?
The first four episodes will premiere on Thanksgiving (November 26), the next three on Christmas (December 24) and the final episode on New Year’s Eve (December 31). They will all air at 10pm, Brasília time.
Check out the trailer below:
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
