One last trip to Hawkins, Indiana is nearing and fans of Stranger Things got their first real glimpse of the same in a behind-the-scenes video that recently dropped online. The smash-hit 80s-set Netflix series has amassed a massive following over its first four seasons, with season 5 serving as an epic conclusion to the story.
The fifth and final season has been in production for quite some time and fans got an update on its progress in the new video. The video update also gives a rough estimate of when the final season will be available for streaming. However, some fans were understandably upset at what the update meant for season 5’s release date, and here is what they had to say.
Stranger Things Provides Major Update on Season 5 Filming in New Featurette
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things faced delays in filming because of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. However, on January 8, 2024, it was confirmed that the Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, and David Harbour-led series had started filming the much-awaited fifth installment.
On July 15, 2024, the show’s official social media handles posted a video, giving fans a look at the behind-the-scenes footage of the upcoming season. The post also confirmed that filming was at the halfway mark, meaning it was expected to wrap sometime in early 2025.
The fifth season was officially announced in February 2022 and confirmed to be the final installment. Hence, the series that first premiered in 2016, and introduced viewers to Hawkins and its eclectic and loveable ensemble of characters would end after a decade-long run.
Considering that previous installments were released roughly a year after filming had concluded and principal photography on season 5 is still at the halfway mark, it is safe to say that the new episodes will not premiere until 2026, roughly four years after the fourth season was released.
Fans Unhappy With Stranger Things‘ Final Season For One Understandable Reason
Given the long wait for the final season, fans of the series are clearly unhappy with the show’s production timeline. The series debuted in 2016, and the final season is expected to drop in 2026. Hence, it has taken roughly a decade to produce the total 42 episodes, including the upcoming eight-episode final season.
Fans were understandably upset with the long gap between seasons and took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the same. Here is what fans had to say after the latest Stranger Things season 5 filming update on X (formerly Twitter).
As the tweets indicate, most fans were unhappy with the long wait between seasons, arguing that it was hampering their experience. Moreover, some fans also hoped that the final season would live up to its hype, especially after a nearly four-year gap between seasons 4 and 5.
On the other hand, some fans defended the show for taking almost ten years to produce five seasons, citing that the show’s writing and overall quality did not dip in this period. Furthermore, fans were also right in pointing out that the series had to halt production due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2023 Hollywood strikes.
Lastly, the show’s episodes and quality are nothing short of a feature-length film, with the fifth season episodes having a scope greater than all previous installments. Hence, the nearly one-year-long production schedule of the fifth season is understandable and fans must wait patiently for their final trip to Hawkins.
Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.
