Stranger Things season 5 has been held up by America’s writers strikes.
As a result, it is no surprise that we are yet to see a trailer for the next chapter of the story.
But there is still a lot we do know, including the largely returning cast, with one big addition.
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Find out who that is, and everything else we know about the season so far, by reading on.
Is season 5 the end of Stranger Things?
Before season 4 had even aired, the show’s producers revealed that there would be a fifth season.
However, it came in the form of announcing that season 5 would be the end of Stranger Things.
Duffer brothers Matt and Ross said in February 2022 that in the story’s inception ‘we predicted the story would last four or five seasons.
‘It proved too large to tell in four, but—as you’ll soon see for yourselves—we are now hurtling toward our finale.
‘Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.’
Has filming started for Stranger Things season 5?
Filming for Stranger Things season 5 was meant to begin in June 2023, but was held up by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
Producers Matt and Ros 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.’
When will Stranger Things season 5 be released?
That delay to filming will likely mean that any hypothetical release date is pushed back, although none has been set yet.
An optimistic expectation for the release would be anytime before 2025.
Another element of unknown is the format of the release – in parts or one go.
The first three seasons were released in their entirety on the same day, whereas season 4 consisted of two volumes, with seven and two episodes respectively.
Who is in the cast for Stranger Things season 5?
The new season will mainly consist of the cast we are all used to.
But there has been one high-profile addition – Terminator star Linda Hamilton.
Hamilton’s role in the plot has been kept under wraps so we will have to wait and see what her character will bring.
Those returning for season 5 include:
- Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven
- Finn Wolfhard – Mike Wheeler
- Winona Ryder – Joyce Byers
- David Harbour – Jim Hopper
- Gaten Matarazzo – Dustin Henderson
- Caleb McLaughlin – Lucas Sinclair
- Noah Schnapp – Will Byers
- Sadie Sink – Max Mayfield
- Natalia Dyer – Nancy Wheeler
- Charlie Heaton – Jonathan Byers
- Joe Keery – Steve Harrington
- Maya Hawke – Robin Buckley
- Brett Gelman – Murray Bauman
- Priah Ferguson – Erica Sinclair
- Paul Reiser – Dr Sam Owens
- Jamie Campbell Bower – Vecna/Henry Creel/One
- Cara Buono – Karen Wheeler
- Eduardo Franco – Argyle
- Gabriella Pizzolo – Susie
How many episodes will there be in Stranger Things season 5?
This is yet another unknown, however the show’s writers have hinted that there could be eight episodes this time around.
In August 2022 the Stranger Things writers’ Twitter account posted a picture of a whiteboard split into a grid with eight columns, titled ‘Episode 1’ through to ‘Episode 8.’
Some fans pointed out that this will follow the theme set by previous seasons – season 1 was made up of eight episodes, season 2 by nine, season 3 by eight, and season 4 by nine again.
The following November, it was revealed the the first part of the new season will be called The Crawl.
What will the plot of Stranger Things season 5 be?
Season 5 promises to tie up the lose ends of a ‘complete story arc.’
Season 4 ended on the cliffhanger of the real world and The Upside Down merging.
As a result, expect a fast-paced, all-action opening to this season.
Ross hinted at this on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, saying: ‘For the first time ever, we don’t wrap things up at the end of [season] 4, so it’s going to be moving pretty fast. Characters are already going to be in action.
‘They’re already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that’s going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different.’
But another thing to expect as part of the next step for the show is a time jump, as Ross told TVLine, possibly to accommodate how quickly the cast is growing up.
He said that ‘ideally’ seasons 4 and 5 would have been shot back-to-back, but that was unfeasible.
Regarding the ending, in an interview with SFX the Duffer Brothers teased that although the ending is much the same as what they had imagined before the 2016 release, it would be ‘more interesting and exciting than originally envisioned.’
By: MATTHEW COX
Originally published at Daily Mail
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