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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.

Hollywood Life has rounded up all the latest news we know about the fifth and final season.

‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Release Date

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.

How to Watch the Stranger Things Season 5 Finale

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.

What Will ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Be About?

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.

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

The Writers Guild of America went on strike on May 1 after negotiations broke down between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney. The members of the WGA are asking for increased pay, better residuals, staffing requirements, and clarification about the use of AI. Almost two months later, SAG-AFTRA also went on strike. As of August 2023, both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are still on strike.

On March 21, 2023, the Stranger Things writers’ Twitter account gave a little (but exciting) morsel about the fifth and final season. “Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids,” the tweet read.

Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids.

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) March 21, 2023

During his March 2023 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Gaten Matarazzo admitted that it’s going to be bittersweet to say goodbye to the show. “There’s kind of an excitement there because you always want to wrap it up and see how these characters are going to finally develop one last time, and how they’re going to finish their journeys. But also there’s like a deep fear. Not only has it been amazing, but it’s been pretty great job security for a while. Back to freelance,” he said.

When it comes to what he wants to see happen in the final season, Gaten said, “I’d love to see a good launchpad for growth. I’d love to see these characters thrive and move on from the trauma they’ve endured over the past few years.” You ain’t kidding. 

Back in January 2023, Noah Schnapp revealed that Stranger Things season 5 would start filming in May 2023. He was asked during a TikTok Live session if the season 5 shooting schedule would interfere with his schooling at the University of Pennsylvania. “I’m done with school in May, and starting to shoot in May,” he said.

During Stranger Things Day on November 6, 2022, the season 5 premiere episode title was announced. The premiere is officially titled “Chapter One: The Crawl.” The first episode of the final season is written by The Duffer Brothers.

On September 20, 2022, the Stranger Things writers confirmed that the grid for the fifth and final season was “complete.” They revealed all the major plot points of season 5, but the entire photo was blurred to prevent spoilers. It appears that, as of right now, season 5 will consist of 8 episodes. Episode 7 is going to be a big one. A portion of the plot is blacked out along with the blurring to keep anything from leaking.

Grid complete pic.twitter.com/vAX7z4NAJY

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) September 20, 2022

The Stranger Things writers revealed on August 2, 2022, that the writers’ room for the first and final season was officially underway. “Day 1,” the tweet read. The writers also included a photo of a whiteboard with just the Stranger Things 5 logo written on it. Ross Duffer previously revealed that the writers’ room would start in August. “We’re going to take a little vacation in July,” Ross told Collider. “And then we’re going to come back. I know that the writer’s room is going to start in that first week of August.”

Day 1 pic.twitter.com/9m44RkJnc3

— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) August 2, 2022

When Netflix announced that season 4 would be split into two volumes, the streaming service also included a letter from the creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, a.k.a. the Duffer Brothers. While they wrote that season 4 would be “bigger than ever,” they noted that “it’s also the beginning of the end.”

Their letter continued: “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you’ll soon see for yourselves — we are not hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.

There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down. As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”

The Duffers have always been adamant that Stranger Things wouldn’t go on for seasons and seasons. However, season 4 was never intended to be the end of the hit Netflix series. “Season 4 won’t be the end,” Ross told The Hollywood Reporter in August 2020. “We know what the end is, and we know when it is. [The pandemic] has given us time to look ahead, figure out what is best for the show. Starting to fill that out gave us a better idea of how long we need to tell that story.”

Stranger Things director and EP Shawn Levy fully supports the decision by the Duffer Brothers to end the show with season 5. “Well, we never wanted to run on fumes and we wanted to only tell as much story as the brothers saw and feel with clarity,” Shawn told Screen Rant in March 2022. “So it’s been clear for a while that they know exactly where we’re headed and this is the arc. We wouldn’t want to stick around for one moment beyond that vision and the clarity of that voice. So rather than focusing on that sad day that happens who knows when, the end of season 5, I’ll just once again reaffirm what I’ve told everyone, which is it has been a long-ass wait for season 4. But I swear to God, the world will realize it’s worth it.”

In an interview with E! News in September 2022, Shawn revealed that the final season “will definitely be more Hawkins-centric.” He didn’t reveal anything about a premiere date but did promise that season 5 “ain’t gonna be smaller” than season 4. “Our ambitions remain pretty high,” Shawn also said, “and the way the audience has grown along with the cinematic scope of the show, I don’t expect that we’re going to mess with that approach going into season five.”

‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Cast

The Hawkins crew is gearing up for one final showdown, and yes, your favorite characters are returning. Netflix has confirmed that the core cast who survived Season 4 will be back to finish the story.

That includes Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Noah Schnapp (Will), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Sadie Sink (Max), Natalie Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Joe Keery (Steve), and Maya Hawke (Robin). The series veterans Winona Ryder (Joyce) and David Harbour (Hopper) will also return, rounding out the original lineup.

In addition, Brett Gelman (Murray Bauman), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), and Amybeth McNulty (Vickie) are all confirmed to return in Season 5. Hollywood Life spoke exclusively with Cara Buono in 2023, and she shared her hopes for one last classic Wheeler family dinner scene. “I hope that there are more of like, in season one, there were a lot of family dinners,” Cara said. “And I loved when the kids came over for dinner… so I hope there’s at least one big dinner at the Wheelers where the kids come over and there’s a lot of awkward stuff going on. That would be really, really fun.”

Jamie Campbell Bower is also set to return as Vecna, and according to him, the villain is far from finished. “He’s pissed, he’s properly vexed,” Jamie told NME. “He’s rebuilding, and he’s out for blood… That classic Jason Voorhees thing—you’ve made a big mistake.”

Maya Hawke opened up to Rolling Stone in 2022 about what she hopes for Robin in the final season. “Well, it’s the last season, so people are probably going to die. I would love to die and get my hero’s moment… But I love the way that the Duffer Brothers love their actors… and they don’t want to kill them. I think that’s a beautiful quality.” She also teased she’d be down for a spinoff—but only if it included co-star Joe Keery, who plays Robin’s best friend, Steve. “He’s so funny and wonderful and smart… I would do anything with him.”

And in a surprise reveal at Netflix’s 2023 TUDUM event, Arnold Schwarzenegger helped announce that Linda Hamilton — his legendary Terminator co-star — joined the cast. “A fantastic actress, a badass,” Schwarzenegger said on stage, as Hamilton appeared via video, adding, “I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time… I’ll see you in Hawkins.”

Netflix later confirmed Hamilton’s casting with a signature upside-down photo on the Stranger Things Instagram account. Additional new cast members include Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly as Derek, and Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers, among others.

‘Stranger Things’ Run So Far

Stranger Things became a global phenomenon when it premiered on Netflix in 2016. The series catapulted the young stars to superstardom, and they have grown up before our eyes.

Following the success of the second season, the cast reportedly scored major pay raises for season 3 and beyond, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The cast was divided into “different pay tiers” with Winona and David making up the “A tier” that earned them up to $350,000 an episode. The “B tier” included the younger stars like Finn, Gaten, Caleb, and Noah, who started making $250,000 an episode. The “C tier” featured the older kids — Natalia, Charlie, and Joe — who began making $150,000 an episode in season 3.

At the time, it couldn’t be confirmed exactly what Millie was making. After making $30,000 per episode alongside Finn, Gaten, and Caleb, Millie separated herself from the rest of the cast during renegotiations. For season 3, Millie was at least making $250,000 like her fellow young actors, but sources told THR she could be making as high as $350,000 per episode or in her own tier of $300,000 per episode.

What Happened In Season 4?

Stranger Things season 4 introduced the show’s biggest bad yet: Vecna. The Upside Down was created after Eleven battled Henry Creel, who also happened to be One, the first child to be experimented on by Dr. Brenner. When Eleven was a child, Henry/One posed as Peter Ballard at the Hawkins Lab. Once he gained Eleven’s trust, he betrayed her and killed the other children at the lab.

Henry/One faced off against a young Eleven, and she opened the first gate to the Upside Down as she tried to destroy him. Henry/One didn’t die when he was thrown into the Upside Down. Vecna was born. Vecna is the one behind all the chaos that’s been wreaking havoc in Hawkins.

In Volume 2 of Stranger Things season 4, the Hawkins crew (with Eleven’s help) tried to take down Vecna. In the midst of this fight, Eddie sacrificed himself and died in Dustin’s arms, Eleven infiltrated Max’s mind, Jason and Lucas got into a brutal fight, and Max was nearly killed by Vecna. Joseph Quinn became an instant star after his breakout performance as Eddie Munson. Even though Eddie died in season 4, many fans hope that Eddie will return in season 5. “He feels kind of gone, it feels pretty hard to bring him back, I’d say, but, I don’t know,” Joseph told Access about possibly returning.

Shawn Levy spoke about Eddie’s possible return in an interview on the 2022 Emmy Awards red carpet. “A lot of people can’t even handle the thought of a season five without some excuse for Eddie present, he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Highly unlikely, but we hear you world. We know you’re obsessed with Eddie. So are we.”

Joyce and Hopper finally kissed and got out of Russia with Murray. They returned home where they reunited with their kids. However, the current state of Hawkins is borderline ruin. Max did die for a moment before she was brought back to life by Eleven. Max’s death allowed Vecna to get that fourth kill he needed to open the last gate. The faultlines created by the 4 collided at the center of Hawkins, creating massive openings to the Upside Down. The end of the season 4 finale showed the effects of the Upside Down creeping in on Hawkins, and the biggest fight for Eleven and the others is still ahead. Meanwhile, Max is in a coma after her confrontation with Vecna.

“Now that I’m here in Hawkins, I can feel him,” Will said to Mike about Vecna. “And he’s hurt. He’s hurting. But he’s still alive. It’s strange, knowing now who it was this whole time, but I can still remember what he thinks and how he thinks. And he’s not going to stop. Ever. Not until he’s taken everything. And everyone. We have to kill him.”

Is ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 the Last One?

Yes, Netflix and the crew behind the series have said that season 5 is its final one.