We've been waiting over three years, but Stranger Things' fifth and final season finally arrives on Netflix—in three parts—this December. According to Puck (via SFFGazette.com), the streamer has invested heavily in a Season 5 that's set to wrap up with 8 feature-length episodes.
As this report explains, the show's send-off cost upwards of $400 million to produce, making it one of the most expensive TV shows of all time.
Hollywood insider Kim Masters explains that the Duffer Brothers spent between $50 million - $60 million per episode, meaning the budget could have risen to as high as $480 million when all was said and done. Stranger Things remains a major draw for the streamer, though, and is likely to remain a draw for Netflix in the long term.
Back to the runtimes of each episode, it's said that we can expect them to each run between 90 minutes and two hours. This essentially means Stranger Things' final season will consist of eight movies, giving fans (and Netflix) plenty of bang for their buck.
The Duffers, Matt and Ross, recently exited Netflix by signing a four-year film and television deal with Paramount. However, the duo confirmed that they'll be keeping one foot in the door when it comes to Stranger Things.
"We’re excited to continue collaborating – not only on the upcoming release of Stranger Things 5, but also on shows we’re deeply proud to be producing, including Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen and The Boroughs," they said in August. "And we look forward to building out the future of Stranger Things together – there are many more stories to tell beyond Hawkins, and we can’t wait to share them."
The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.
As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.
Created by The Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is produced by Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment with The Duffer Brothers serving as executive producers, alongside Shawn Levy of 21 Laps Entertainment and Dan Cohen.
The cast includes Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), 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), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), Nell Fisher (Holly Wheeler), Jake Connelly (Derek Turnbow), Alex Breaux (Lt. Akers), and Linda Hamilton (Dr. Kay).
Stranger Things Season 5, which will consist of eight episodes, is set to be released in three parts, with two volumes on November 26 and December 25, 2025, and the finale on December 31.