‘Stranger Things’ Is Ending With Season 5 On Netflix, But Spinoffs Might Be Coming
It’s time to say goodbye to the Upside Down.
Netflix announced on Thursday that “Stranger Things” has been renewed for a fifth and final season, ahead of its long-delayed Season 4 premiere.
In an open letter to fans from series creators Matt and Ross Duffer, the sibling duo confirmed the news, officially bidding farewell to the sci-fi horror phenomenon, which has become one of the most successful series for the streaming giant.
“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” their statement reads. “At the time, we predicted the story would last four to 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.”
003. Creel House. Tick-tock. pic.twitter.com/mhRfFfQYXU
— Stranger Things (@Stranger_Things) February 17, 2022
But while the final season will mark the end of one “Stranger Things” story, it likely won’t be the last time we visit the universe, with the creators teasing spinoffs aplenty.
“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes,” they added. “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 for the upcoming fourth season, for which fans have been waiting patiently for nearly three years, it will be divided into two parts, with the first volume arriving on May 27 and the second dropping five weeks later on July 1.
Production of Season 4 was heavily delayed due to COVID-19, with filming finally resuming in September 2021 after multiple production halts.
The Duffer Brothers teased that the runtime will be “twice the length of any previous season” with the nine scripts boasting “over 800 pages” and “thousands of visual-effects shots.”
“Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one,” they said. “Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you.”
Series stars Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Maya Hawke, Winona Ryder and David Harbour ― despite his presumed death at the end of the third season ― will all be returning for more adventures in the new chapter.
“It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins,” the fourth season’s official logline reads. “Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time — and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.”
Catch the Season 4 teaser for “Stranger Things” below.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.