The countdown to the Upside Down’s final chapter is officially on. Stranger Things Season 5 has fans buzzing as Netflix’s hit sci-fi series prepares to wrap up its story after nearly a decade. Since its explosive debut in 2016, the show has become a cultural phenomenon, and now, the long-awaited final season is almost here.
While production was originally set to begin in 2023, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes caused major delays across Hollywood, pushing filming for season 5 into 2024. But now, things are back on track — and it won’t be long before Eleven and the gang return for one last ride.
News47.us has rounded up all the latest news we know about the fifth and final season.
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
Stranger Things will release its season 5 episodes in three parts: four episodes on November 26, 2025, three on December 25, and the finale on December 31 in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada.
Screenings of the season 5 finale will be available in 350 theaters across the country and in Canada starting at 5 p.m. PT on December 31, and it will run through January 1, 2026. The finale’s global premiere will still take place on Netflix.
The show will be coming full circle in the final season. The focus will be back on Will Byers in Stranger Things 5. “Will really takes center stage again in 5,” Ross Duffer told Variety for Noah Schnapp’s Power of Young Hollywood cover story, which was released on August 7. “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.
Just as filming was about to get underway in May 2023, the Duffers released a note on the official Stranger Things writers’ page and gave an update about the status of season 5. “Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong,” the Duffers tweeted.
