'Stranger Things': Fourth series is coming soon and is the ‘beginning of the end’

Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers have revealed that the eagerly awaited fourth series will drop in May – and that it’s “the beginning of the end”.

The fourth instalment of the hit Netflix show will be split into two parts because of its "unprecedented length", with the first volume debuting on May 27 and the second arriving on July 1.

Spilling the beans in an open letter to fans, Matt and Ross Duffer said there would then be a fifth season which would bring the story to an end.

Read more: Shawn Levy: Stranger Things S4 is the 'most cinematically ambitious season' yet

"Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things,” they said.

“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 see for yourselves - we are now hurtling toward our finale.

"Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last."

The pair said the fourth series of Stranger Things was the "most challenging" yet, but also the "most rewarding".

The creators also hinted that the show might get a spin-off, saying in the letter that “there are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes”.

They continued: “But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) 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.”

Read more: Stranger Things drops new series four trailer

Series four takes place six months after the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins.

Struggling with the aftermath, the group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating high school hasn't made things any easier.

Netflix said: “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.”

Watch: Steve Harrington voted as the most popular Stranger Things character