{"id":4741342,"date":"2025-12-25T10:55:02","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/?p=4741342"},"modified":"2025-12-25T10:59:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T15:59:35","slug":"stranger-things-season-5-release-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/feature\/stranger-things-season-5-release-date-4741342\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5: Release Date, Cast &#038; Series Finale Theatrical Premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">The beginning of the end has arrived for &#8216;Stranger Things.&#8217; Get the latest on Season 5, including episode releases, returning cast and how to watch the finale.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-1\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-2\">The final chapter of the Upside Down is unfolding. <em><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/stranger-things\/\/\"  >Stranger\u00a0<\/a><\/em><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/stranger-things\/\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener\"  ><em>Things<\/em><\/a> Season 5 has begun rolling out, marking the start of the end for Netflix\u2019s hit sci-fi series after nearly a decade. Since its breakout debut in 2016, the show has become a cultural phenomenon, and its final story is now officially underway.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-3\">While production was originally slated to begin in 2023, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes caused widespread delays across Hollywood, ultimately pushing filming into 2024. After months of anticipation, the fifth and final season is now here, reuniting Eleven and the Hawkins crew for their\u00a0last ride.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-4\"><strong>Hollywood Life<\/strong> has rounded up all the latest news we know about the fifth and final season.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vEhYTJpC2No?version=3&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;start=1&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h2>&#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5 Release Date<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-5\"><em data-start=\"152\" data-end=\"169\">Stranger Things<\/em> Season 5 is being released in three parts. The first four episodes premiered on November 26, 2025, followed by three additional episodes on December 25. The series finale is set to debut on December 31, with select theatrical screenings in the U.S. and Canada alongside its streaming release.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Watch the &#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5 Finale<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-6\">The <em data-start=\"137\" data-end=\"154\">Stranger Things<\/em> Season 5 finale will screen in approximately 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, beginning at 5 p.m. PT on December 31 and running through January 1, 2026. The episode will also have its global premiere on Netflix, allowing fans worldwide to stream the series finale at home.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is &#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5 About?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-7\">The show has come full circle in the final season. The focus will be back on Will Byers in <em>Stranger Things 5<\/em>.\u00a0<span class=\"s1\">&#8220;Will really takes center stage again in 5,&#8221; <strong>Ross Duffer<\/strong> told <em>Variety<\/em> for <strong>Noah Schnapp&#8217;s<\/strong> <a  href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2023\/tv\/features\/noah-schnapp-coming-out-will-byers-gay-stranger-things-5-1235687739\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>Power of Young Hollywood<\/em> cover stor<\/a>y, which was released on August 7. &#8220;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\u2019s being protected. So part of his journey, it\u2019s not just sexuality \u2014 it\u2019s Will coming into his own as a young man.<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-8\">Just as filming was about to get underway in May 2023, the Duffers released a note on the official <em>Stranger Things<\/em> writers&#8217; page and gave an update about the status of season 5. &#8220;Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we\u2019re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/feature\/tv-shows-delayed-writers-strike-2023-5096577\/\"  >not possible during this strike<\/a>. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then &#8212; over and out. #wgastrong,&#8221; the Duffers <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1654955071631765506\"  target=\"_blank\"  >tweeted<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we\u2019re 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 &#8212; over and out. <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/wgastrong?src=hash&#038;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"  target=\"_blank\"  >#wgastrong<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-9\">&mdash; stranger writers (@strangerwriters) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1654955071631765506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"  target=\"_blank\"  >May 6, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-10\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-11\">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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-12\">On March 21, 2023, the <em>Stranger Things<\/em> writers&#8217; Twitter account gave a little (but exciting) morsel about the fifth and final season. &#8220;Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids,&#8221; the <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1638225221651144707\"  target=\"_blank\"  >tweet read<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Season 5 is like if season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-13\">&mdash; stranger writers (@strangerwriters) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1638225221651144707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"  target=\"_blank\"  >March 21, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-14\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-15\">During his March 2023 appearance on <em>The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon<\/em>,<a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/gaten-matarazzo\/\"  ><strong> Gaten Matarazzo<\/strong><\/a> admitted that it&#8217;s going to be bittersweet to say goodbye to the show. &#8220;There\u2019s 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\u2019re going to finish their journeys. But also there\u2019s like a deep fear. Not only has it been amazing, but it\u2019s been pretty great job security for a while. Back to freelance,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-16\">When it comes to what he wants to see happen in the final season, Gaten said, &#8220;I\u2019d love to see a good launchpad for growth. I\u2019d love to see these characters thrive and move on from the trauma they\u2019ve endured over the past few years.&#8221; <em>You ain&#8217;t kidding.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SGRL4DPqt4c?version=3&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;start=143&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-17\">Back in January 2023, <strong>Noah Schnapp<\/strong> revealed that <em>Stranger Things<\/em> season 5 would start filming in May 2023. He was asked during a <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/simplytomh\/status\/1618741958306062336\"  target=\"_blank\"  >TikTok Live session<\/a> if the season 5 shooting schedule would interfere with his schooling at the University of Pennsylvania. &#8220;I\u2019m done with school in May, and starting to shoot in May,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-18\">During <em>Stranger Things<\/em> Day on November 6, 2022, the season 5 premiere episode title was announced. The premiere is officially titled &#8220;Chapter One: The Crawl.&#8221; The first episode of the final season is written by The Duffer Brothers.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4888119\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4888119\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/strangerthingstitle.jpg?resize=600%2C600\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4888119\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/strangerthingstitle.jpg?resize=600%2C600\" alt=\"Stranger Things\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4888119\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The script for the &#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; season 5 premiere. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-19\">On September 20, 2022, the <em>Stranger Things<\/em> writers confirmed that the grid for the fifth and final season was &#8220;complete.&#8221; 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.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Grid complete <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vAX7z4NAJY\"  rel=\"nofollow\"  target=\"_blank\"  >pic.twitter.com\/vAX7z4NAJY<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-20\">&mdash; stranger writers (@strangerwriters) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1572373152805834754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"  target=\"_blank\"  >September 20, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-21\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-22\">The <em>Stranger Things<\/em> writers revealed on August 2, 2022, that the writers&#8217; room for the first and final season was officially underway. &#8220;Day 1,&#8221; the tweet read. The writers also included a photo of a whiteboard with just the <em>Stranger Things 5<\/em> logo written on it. <strong>Ross Duffer<\/strong> previously revealed that the writers&#8217; room would start in August. \u201cWe&#8217;re going to take a little vacation in July,\u201d Ross<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>told <a  href=\"https:\/\/collider.com\/stranger-things-season-5-writers-room-duffer-brothers-comments\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>Collider<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0\u201cAnd then we&#8217;re going to come back. I know that the writer&#8217;s room is going to start in that first week of August.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"und\" dir=\"ltr\">Day 1 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9m44RkJnc3\"  rel=\"nofollow\"  target=\"_blank\"  >pic.twitter.com\/9m44RkJnc3<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-23\">&mdash; stranger writers (@strangerwriters) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/strangerwriters\/status\/1554531728466722817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"  target=\"_blank\"  >August 2, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-24\"><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-25\">When Netflix announced that season 4 would be split into two volumes, the streaming service also included a letter from the creators, <strong>Matt<\/strong> and <strong>Ross Duffer<\/strong>, a.k.a. the Duffer Brothers. While they wrote that season 4 would be &#8220;bigger than ever,&#8221; they noted that &#8220;it&#8217;s also the beginning of the end.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-26\">Their letter continued: &#8220;Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for <em>Stranger Things<\/em>. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but \u2014 as you\u2019ll soon see for yourselves \u2014 we are not hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4741526\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4741526\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed4.jpg?resize=620%2C775\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4741526\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed4.jpg?resize=620%2C775\" alt=\"Stranger Things\" width=\"620\" height=\"775\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4741526\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The letter from the Duffer Brothers about the final season. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-27\">There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of <em>Stranger Things<\/em>; 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-28\">The Duffers have always been adamant that <em>Stranger Things<\/em> wouldn&#8217;t go on for seasons and seasons. However, season 4 was never intended to be the end of the hit Netflix series. \u201cSeason 4 won\u2019t be the end,\u201d Ross <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/general-news\/stranger-things-creators-departure-halloween-spookiness-season-4-plans-1307226\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  >told\u00a0<em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in August 2020. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-29\"><em>Stranger Things<\/em> director and EP <strong>Shawn Levy<\/strong> fully supports the decision by the Duffer Brothers to end the show with season 5. &#8220;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,&#8221; Shawn told <a  href=\"https:\/\/screenrant.com\/stranger-things-end-season-5-shawn-levy-reaction\/\"  rel=\"nofollow\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>Screen Rant<\/em><\/a> in March 2022. &#8220;So it&#8217;s been clear for a while that they know exactly where we&#8217;re headed and this is the arc. We wouldn&#8217;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&#8217;ll just once again reaffirm what I&#8217;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&#8217;s worth it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-30\">In an interview with <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.eonline.com\/news\/1346187\/stranger-things-season-5-why-you-should-expect-to-see-more-of-hawkins\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener nofollow\"  ><em>E! News<\/em><\/a> in September 2022, Shawn revealed that the final season &#8220;will\u00a0definitely be more Hawkins-centric.&#8221; He didn&#8217;t reveal anything about a premiere date but did promise that season 5 &#8220;ain&#8217;t gonna be smaller&#8221; than season 4. &#8220;Our ambitions remain pretty high,&#8221; Shawn also said, &#8220;and the way the audience has grown along with the cinematic scope of the show, I don&#8217;t expect that we&#8217;re going to mess with that approach going into season five.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4741529\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4741529\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed7.jpg?resize=620%2C309\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4741529\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed7.jpg?resize=620%2C309\" alt=\"Millie Bobby Brown\" width=\"620\" height=\"309\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4741529\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in season 4. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>&#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5 Cast<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-31\">The Hawkins crew has geared up for one final showdown, and yes, your favorite characters have returned. The cast includes <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/millie-bobby-brown\/\"  ><strong>Millie Bobby Brown<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Eleven), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/finn-wolfhard\/\"  ><strong>Finn Wolfhard<\/strong><\/a> (Mike), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/noah-schnapp\/\"  ><strong>Noah Schnapp<\/strong><\/a> (Will), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/gaten-matarazzo\/\"  ><strong>Gaten Matarazzo<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Dustin), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/caleb-mclaughlin\/\"  ><strong>Caleb McLaughlin<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Lucas), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/sadie-sink\/\"  ><strong>Sadie Sink<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Max), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/natalia-dyer\/\"  ><strong>Natalie Dyer<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Nancy), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/charlie-heaton\/\"  ><strong>Charlie Heaton<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Jonathan), <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/celeb\/joe-keery\/\"  ><strong>Joe Keery<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Steve), and <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/maya-hawke\/\"  ><strong>Maya Hawke<\/strong><\/a> (Robin). The series veterans <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/winona-ryder\/\"  ><strong>Winona Ryder <\/strong><\/a>(Joyce) and <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/david-harbour\/\"  ><strong>David Harbour<\/strong><\/a> (Hopper) also returned, rounding out the original lineup.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-32\">In addition, <strong data-start=\"947\" data-end=\"979\">Brett Gelman <\/strong>(Murray Bauman), <strong data-start=\"981\" data-end=\"1011\">Cara Buono<\/strong> (Karen Wheeler), and <strong data-start=\"1017\" data-end=\"1045\">Amybeth McNulty<\/strong> (Vickie) were all confirmed to return in Season 5. <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2023\/02\/02\/cara-buono-stranger-things-final-season-idea-interview\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener\"  ><strong>Hollywood Life <\/strong>spoke exclusively<\/a> with Cara Buono in 2023, and she shared her hopes for one last classic Wheeler family dinner scene. &#8220;I hope that there are more of like, in\u00a0<a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/pics\/stranger-things-kids-grown-up-photos\/stranger-things-season-3-2-3\/\"  data-analytics-trigger=\"article-body-link\"  >season one<\/a>, there were a lot of family dinners,\u201d Cara said. \u201cAnd I loved when the kids came over for dinner\u2026 so I hope there\u2019s at least one big dinner at the Wheelers where the kids come over and there\u2019s a lot of awkward stuff going on. That would be really, really fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-33\"><strong data-start=\"1393\" data-end=\"1417\">Jamie Campbell Bower<\/strong> has also returned as <strong data-start=\"1443\" data-end=\"1452\">Vecna<\/strong>, and according to him, the villain is far from finished. \u201cHe\u2019s pissed, he\u2019s properly vexed,\u201d Jamie told <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/tv\/jamie-campbell-bower-teases-vecnas-return-in-stranger-things-i-dont-think-hes-slunk-off-licking-his-wounds-in-misery-3299972\"  rel=\"nofollow\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>NME<\/em><\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s rebuilding, and he\u2019s out for blood\u2026 That classic Jason Voorhees thing\u2014you\u2019ve made a big mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4831347\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4831347\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Stranger-Things-5-netflix-embed-2.jpg?resize=620%2C310\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4831347\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Stranger-Things-5-netflix-embed-2.jpg?resize=620%2C310\" alt=\"Jamie Campbell Bower\" width=\"620\" height=\"310\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4831347\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"2210\"><strong data-start=\"1669\" data-end=\"1683\">Maya Hawke<\/strong> opened up to <em><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/tv-movies\/tv-movie-features\/maya-hawke-stranger-things-therese-moss-interview-1394080\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener\"  >Rolling Stone<\/a> <\/em>in 2022\u00a0about what she hopes for Robin in the final season. \u201cWell, it\u2019s the last season, so people are probably going to die. I would love to die and get my hero\u2019s moment\u2026 But I love the way that the Duffer Brothers love their actors\u2026 and they don\u2019t want to kill them. I think that\u2019s a beautiful quality.\u201d She also teased she\u2019d be down for a spinoff\u2014but only if it included co-star <strong data-start=\"2087\" data-end=\"2100\">Joe Keery<\/strong>, who plays Robin\u2019s best friend, Steve. \u201cHe\u2019s so funny and wonderful and smart\u2026 I would do anything with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2388\" data-end=\"2768\">And in a surprise reveal at Netflix\u2019s 2023 <em data-start=\"2431\" data-end=\"2438\">TUDUM<\/em> event, <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/tag\/arnold-schwarzenegger\/\"  ><strong>Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0helped announce that <strong data-start=\"2493\" data-end=\"2511\">Linda Hamilton <\/strong>\u2014 his legendary <em data-start=\"2526\" data-end=\"2538\">Terminator<\/em> co-star \u2014 joined the cast. \u201cA fantastic actress, a badass,\u201d Schwarzenegger said on stage, as Hamilton appeared via video, adding, \u201cI don&#8217;t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time\u2026 I&#8217;ll see you in Hawkins.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CtnIh15MUOT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:500px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CtnIh15MUOT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&#038;utm_campaign=loading\"  style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\"  target=\"_blank\"  > <\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex;flex-direction: row;align-items: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex;flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px\">\n<div style=\"color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex;flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex;flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-34\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-35\"><script async src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2770\" data-end=\"3049\">Netflix later confirmed Hamilton\u2019s casting with a signature upside-down photo on the <em data-start=\"2855\" data-end=\"2872\">Stranger Things<\/em> <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CtnIh15MUOT\/?hl=en\"  target=\"_blank\"  >Instagram account<\/a>. Additional new cast members include <strong data-start=\"2928\" data-end=\"2943\">Nell Fisher<\/strong> as <strong data-start=\"2947\" data-end=\"2964\">Holly Wheeler<\/strong>, <strong data-start=\"2966\" data-end=\"2983\">Jake Connelly<\/strong> as <strong data-start=\"2987\" data-end=\"2996\">Derek<\/strong>, and <strong data-start=\"3002\" data-end=\"3017\">Alex Breaux<\/strong> as <strong data-start=\"3021\" data-end=\"3034\">Lt. Akers<\/strong>, among others.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Run So Far<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-36\"><em>Stranger Things<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-37\">Following the success of the second season, the cast reportedly scored major pay raises for season 3 and beyond, according to <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/tv\/tv-news\/stranger-things-stars-score-massive-pay-raises-season-3-1094952\/\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>. The cast was divided into &#8220;different pay tiers&#8221; with Winona and David making up the &#8220;A tier&#8221; that earned them up to $350,000 an episode. The &#8220;B tier&#8221; included the younger stars like Finn, Gaten, Caleb, and Noah, who started making $250,000 an episode. The &#8220;C tier&#8221; featured the older kids &#8212; Natalia, Charlie, and Joe &#8212; who began making $150,000 an episode in season 3.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4741524\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4741524\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed2.jpg?resize=620%2C309\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4741524\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-netflix-embed2.jpg?resize=620%2C309\" alt=\"David Harbour\" width=\"620\" height=\"309\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4741524\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Harbour as Hopper in season 4. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-38\">At the time, it couldn&#8217;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 <em>THR<\/em> she could be making as high as $350,000 per episode or in her own tier of $300,000 per episode.<\/p>\n<h2>What Happened In Season 4?<\/h2>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oB2GYwbIAlM?version=3&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-39\"><em>Stranger Things<\/em> season 4 introduced the show&#8217;s biggest bad yet: <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/feature\/who-is-vecna-identity-stranger-things-4750555\/\"  >Vecna<\/a>. 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&#8217;s trust, he betrayed her and killed the other children at the lab.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-40\">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&#8217;t die when he was thrown into the Upside Down. Vecna was born. Vecna is the one behind all the chaos that&#8217;s been wreaking havoc in Hawkins.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-41\">In <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2022\/07\/01\/stranger-things-max-coma-eleven-reunites-hopper-season-4-finale-ending\/\"  >Volume 2 of <em>Stranger Things<\/em> season 4<\/a>, the Hawkins crew (with Eleven&#8217;s help) tried to take down Vecna. In the midst of this fight, Eddie sacrificed himself and <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2022\/07\/01\/stranger-things-eddie-dies-dustin-season-4-finale\/\"  >died in Dustin&#8217;s arms<\/a>, Eleven infiltrated Max&#8217;s mind, Jason and Lucas got into a brutal fight, and Max was nearly killed by Vecna. <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/feature\/who-is-joseph-quinn-stranger-things-4748965\/\"  ><strong>Joseph Quinn<\/strong><\/a> became an instant star after his breakout performance as Eddie Munson. Even though Eddie died in season 4, many fans hope that <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2022\/07\/05\/stranger-things-eddie-vampire-return-season-5-theory\/\"  >Eddie will return<\/a> in season 5. &#8220;He feels kind of gone, it feels pretty hard to bring him back, I\u2019d say, but, I don\u2019t know,&#8221; Joseph told <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/joseph-quinn-weighs-rumors-eddie-163500044.html\"  rel=\"nofollow\"  target=\"_blank\"  ><em>Access<\/em><\/a> about possibly returning.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-42\"><strong>Shawn Levy\u00a0<\/strong>spoke about Eddie&#8217;s possible return in an <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/THR\/status\/1569488672210427904\"  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener\"  >interview<\/a> on the 2022 Emmy Awards red carpet. &#8220;A lot of people can&#8217;t even handle the thought of a season five without some excuse for Eddie present, he told <em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em>. &#8220;Highly unlikely, but we hear you world. We know you&#8217;re obsessed with Eddie. So are we.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4780944\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4780944\" style=\"width: 620px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-embed2.jpg?resize=620%2C308\"  ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4780944\" src=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/stranger-things-season-5-embed2.jpg?resize=620%2C308\" alt=\"Stranger Things\" width=\"620\" height=\"308\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4780944\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Eleven takes on Vecna in Volume 2. (Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-43\">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&#8217;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.<\/p>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-44\">&#8220;Now that I\u2019m here in Hawkins, I can feel him,\u201d <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2022\/07\/01\/will-painting-meaning-mike-stranger-things-scene\/\"  >Will<\/a> said to Mike about Vecna. \u201cAnd he\u2019s hurt. He\u2019s hurting. But he\u2019s still alive. It\u2019s strange, knowing now who it was this whole time, but I can still remember what he thinks and how he thinks. And he\u2019s not going to stop. Ever. Not until <a  href=\"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/2022\/06\/21\/stranger-things-4-new-trailer-will-vecna-volume-2-video\/\"  data-analytics-trigger=\"article-body-link\"  >he\u2019s taken everything<\/a>. And everyone. We have to kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Is &#8216;Stranger Things&#8217; Season 5 the Last One?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"content-paragraph-45\">Yes, Netflix and the crew behind the series have said that season 5 is its final one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The beginning of the end has arrived for &#8216;Stranger Things.&#8217; Get the latest on Season 5, including episode releases, returning cast and how to watch the finale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191609899,"featured_media":5220419,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exclude_post_from_river":false,"_cr_original_post":"","_cr_replace_post_id":"","_cr_replacing_post_id":"","mt_seo_title":"'Stranger Things' Season 5: Release Date, Cast &amp; More Details","mt_seo_description":"The final chapter of 'Stranger Things' is underway. Find out when new episodes drop, who\u2019s returning and how to watch the finale.","_pmc_canonical_override":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-02-07T15:27:55Z","apple_news_api_id":"dcbaf0ea-017f-4da2-b735-0fdb25dbb2b2","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-12-25T15:59:45Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/A3Lrw6gF_TaK3NQ_bJduysg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[378004978,462],"tags":[378004670,378002581],"_post-options":[378006328,378007568,378007567,376646536],"coauthors":[378008357],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/stranger-things-5-update-ftr.jpg?fit=620%2C350","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc8i1J-jTrg","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4741342"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191609899"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4741342"}],"version-history":[{"count":59,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4741342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5495421,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4741342\/revisions\/5495421"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5220419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4741342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4741342"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4741342"},{"taxonomy":"_post-options","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_post-options?post=4741342"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hollywoodlife.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4741342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}