Stranger Things Season 5 Release Date, Rumors, Cast and News

Good news comes from the set of the highly anticipated fifth season of Stranger Things. The crew, led by the Duffer brothers, has reached the halfway point of principal photography for the final portion of the show. To celebrate, Netflix has shared behind-the-scenes footage and revealed the names of the actors who have just joined the cast.

Season 4 of Stranger Things ended two years ago, giving viewers the promise of a life-and-death clash between the sinister Vecna ​​and Eleven, supported by her friends. We gathered all the rumors and news from the internet and analyzed the last few episodes to predict what could happen in the show’s grand finale.

If you want to know what else is on Netflix, we’ve rounded up the best TV shows and best movies on the platform.

Has Netflix Started Production on Stranger Things Season 5?

Pre-production on Stranger Things season 5 began in 2022, as confirmed by an image of a blurry storyboard on the writers’ room Twitter account:

Season 3 took two years to develop, and season 4 took more than three years – although much of that time was due to COVID-related delays.

Hopper’s actor, David Harbour, told GQ in July 2022 that they will film in 2023, leading fans to believe that season 5 would be released in 2024. However, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike postponed the start of filming, pushing the possible premiere date to 2025.

According to the latest announcement, filming for the fifth season is halfway through. To celebrate this big moment, Netflix has released a behind-the-scenes featurette teasing the best season of Stranger Things yet.

How many episodes will there be in Stranger Things season 5?

The show’s writers reported on Twitter shared a grid with a total of eight episodes. Last season had nine episodes, so this number makes sense.

The first episode of the final season will be titled ‘The Crawl’.

Will Stranger Things season 5 be the last?

The Duffer Brothers have confirmed that season 5 will be the final installment of Stranger Things. It will be a slightly shorter season than the last one – although we don’t know if we’ll get those two-hour episodes again.

About the ending they said in an open letter:

Seven years ago we planned the entire storyline for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It turned out to be too big to say in fours, but – as you will soon see for yourself – we are now rushing towards our final. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.

If you’re sad about the ending, we have good news: The Duffer Brothers aren’t done with this universe yet. There will be a spin-off based on the world of Stranger Things with a brand new cast and plot, as well as a show based on the sci-fi series.

Who is in the cast of Stranger Things season 5?

Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed the full cast for season 5, but we can guess who will be returning.

We imagine the following cast members will return:

• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin
• Noa Schnapp as Will
• Sadie Zink as Max
• Joe Keery as Steve
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan
• Maya Hawke as Robin
• Pria Ferguson as Erica
• David Haven as Hopper
• Winona ryder as Joyce
• Brett Gelman as Murray

We’ll almost certainly see the return of the big, bad Vecna, played by Jamie Campbell Boweras well as other antagonists such as Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan, played by Sherman Augustus.

There will also be a new face: Terminator star Linda Hamilton will join the cast in an as-yet untitled role.

Further additions to the cast include:

• Nel Visser
• Jake Connelly
• Alex Breaux

What will happen in Stranger Things season 5?

Spoilers for Stranger Things season 4 below

The ending of Stranger Things season 4 was bleaker than most other season finales, as the Hawkins crew ultimately lost. Vecna ​​opened the gates upside down, and now Hawkins is leaking through parts of this strange world into the real one.

Vecna ​​himself is missing after being injured by Eleven, Nancy, Steve and Robin – but we imagine he’s still looking for Eleven, either for revenge or for a full team.

The Hawkins group will likely try to find ways to close the gates and bring Vecna ​​and his monsters back upside down once and for all.

The Duffer Brothers confirmed to TVLine that there will be some sort of time jump. This is most likely due to the fact that most of the cast simply can’t pass for young teens anymore – but it could be that the Upside Down completely engulfs Hawkins over the years, and the team must find a way to to reverse it. to what it once was.

But how? We still don’t know where One/Vecna/Henry’s powers come from. Discovering this could be the key to taking him down and relinquishing his control over the Mind Flayer and other Upside Down creatures.

Eleven clearly has the best chance against him, but she still needs some training before she can take him down.

We also know that Lt. Col. Jack Sullivan is still after Eleven, as he considers her a real supernatural threat. It wouldn’t be surprising if the team were to hide from the government. This is even more likely given everyone’s connection to Eddie and the Hellfire Club – with many of the town’s residents believing them to be a devil-worshipping cult.

In an interview with The Wrap, the Duffer Brothers pitched the final season to some Netflix executives, saying, “They responded really well to it. I mean, it was hard. It’s the end of the story. I saw executives crying that I’ve never seen cry before, and it was wild.”

Does this mean we’re going to have some significant deaths? Last season the only two big losses we had were to Eddie Munson and Dr. Martin Brenner/Dad. Max is seriously injured and in a coma, but survived. Her experience could also mean she still has a psychic bond with Vecna, which could be useful in the final battle.

Either way, we can’t see everyone in the gang making it out alive. We have a strong suspicion that Eleven may have to sacrifice herself, since she was ultimately the one who opened the gate to the world all the way back in season one, so she may have to be the one to close it too.

Moreover, according to Collider, Will will play a major role in season 5. Last season’s finale showed that he still has a connection with Vecna, and that he will come into his own in the finale. Will also dropped strong hints that he is in love with Mike – another plot point that we believe will be explored in season 5.

There’s also the ongoing love triangle between Jonathan, Nancy and Steve – another story that could indicate that at least one of these characters won’t make it out of the final season alive and well.

Finally, the Russians may still be hunting Hopper and Joyce after they escape from prison. Will they travel to America for revenge? All will be revealed in season 5.