It’s the beginning of the end for Stranger Things. After the arrival of the mammoth Stranger Things 4, which was so epic it landed in two parts on Netflix, it was confirmed that the fifth run of the ‘80s sci-fi saga would be the last, bringing the tale of Eleven, Mike, and the inhabitants of Hawkins, Indiana to a close. And now, at long last, that final season is officially in production. Stranger Things 5 was due to start shooting in the middle of 2023, but was halted amid all the strikes that kicked in through the latter half of the year. Now the cast has all been gathered to face off against Vecna and the ghouls of the Upside Down one last time.
Stranger Things 5 is expected to consist of eight episodes, with the first confirmed to be titled ‘The Crawl’. And as well as the full returning cast, this one sees the legendary Linda Hamilton step into the ensemble in an undisclosed role. If we were Vecna, we’d be quaking in our fleshy boots right now. It’s not yet confirmed when the fifth season will hit our screens, but Stranger Things is a massive production with considerable post-production and visual effects requirements – so our best bet would be at some point in 2025.
While this will be the end of the main show, there will of course be different ways that Stranger Things lives on. For one, stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow recently opened in London’s West End, set in the 1950s and exploring the histories of Joyce, Hopper and Henry Creel, among others. Netflix is also moving forward on a Stranger Things animated series, produced by the Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy. But in the live-action arena, Eleven’s days are officially numbered.