Stranger Things Season 5 begins filming in June 2023! Know all updates

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers. Proceed with caution if you have not watched the show/movie.

The science-fiction drama Stranger Things, which is one of the most popular shows on Netflix, is preparing to start filming its fifth and final season in June of 2023. While the exact release date is still unknown, the news that filming will begin in June is significant, especially considering that fans had to wait for three years between the third and fourth seasons. It is possible that Stranger Things Season 5 could be released as early as the beginning of 2024.

David Harbour, who plays Detective Jim Hopper in the series, announced this exciting news in March at the Middle East Film & Comic Con in Abu Dhabi. However, now that he is back in America, Hopper will be well-fed and ready to take on new challenges.

"We're walking into season 5. I've got a couple more months to train," he said (via Collider). He continued: "We start shooting that in June, though, and that will be the final season. I did a lot of training for season 4. He [Hopper] was in a very specific position, that Russian prison. It was about making him a different guy and sort of shedding a layer of himself physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Furthermore, Harbour expressed that the decision to end the series is bittersweet, acknowledging that it is time for them to move on to new projects and allow the talented Duffer brothers to explore new endeavors. "We've all grown up," he said in an interview with Discussing Film.

"And to let the Duffer brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So it is bittersweet, but it’s definitely time."

The release model for Stranger Things Season 5 is still unknown. Seasons 1 to 3 followed the traditional method of releasing the entire season at once, while Season 4 was divided into two volumes. The first volume consisted of seven episodes, and the second volume had two. It remains to be seen whether Season 5 will follow this new release model or revert to the original.

 As for the plot of Stranger Things Season 5, the final season will see the return of Will (Noah Schnapp) and his friends as they prepare for the ultimate battle in Hawkins. The death of Joseph Quinn's character, Eddie, in season 4 has left fans concerned for the fate of the remaining heroes, especially Max (Sadie Sink), whose future was left uncertain in the finale.

Matthew Modine, who played Dr. Brenner in the earlier seasons, is also hoping to make a return in the final season. He expressed his admiration for Millie Bobby Brown, the Duffer brothers, and Shawn Levy, and his desire to be part of the show's last season. Modine stated in an interview with Radio Times that he hopes there's a way to bring back Dr. Brenner and involve him in season 5, as it would be a joy to be part of the final season.

"I wish I knew, I love Millie Bobby Brown, I love [creators] the Duffer brothers, and [producer] Shawn Levy. And it was such a wonderful show to go to work on, it was fun every day that I worked on the show.”

He added, "I hope that there's some way to resuscitate Dr. Brenner and put him in season 5 because it would be wonderful to be part of the last season."

Stranger Things has a reputation for introducing new characters that often meet their demise in the same season, such as Bob, Alexei, and the recent fan-favorite Eddie, who has inspired petitions to bring him back to life. However, the Duffer Brothers have revealed that they are striving to avoid introducing any new characters in the final season.

In an interview with IndieWire, Ross Duffer stated that the focus of Season 5 will be on the established characters, rather than bringing in new faces. The creators are deliberately avoiding the addition of new characters to concentrate on the OG (original) characters, according to Ross Duffer. The decision to emphasize the established characters is intended to provide a fitting conclusion to their storylines and give fans a satisfying conclusion to the series.

“We’re doing our best to resist adding new characters for Season 5. We’re trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.”

Following the conclusion of Stranger Things Season 4, fans speculated whether Will Byers could be a villain in the final season. While it's uncertain if this theory will come true, co-creator Matt Duffer revealed in an interview with Collider that Will will play a significant role in the show's final season. Co-creator Ross Duffer also confirmed that Will's unresolved issues will play a significant part in the show's finale, as they did in the final two episodes of Season 4. Noah Schnapp, the actor who portrays Will, has also expressed his excitement for fans to see how his character's story concludes.

Stranger Things Season 5 may differ from previous seasons, as co-creator Matt Duffer has teased that the final season will begin with intense action from the opening scene, rather than building up the characters. Additionally, the Duffer Brothers have confirmed they are focused on the show's existing characters and are not planning to introduce new ones for the final season.

“I think they did a great job with Will's character this season, and beautifully addressed everything they needed to. The way they closed the show is just perfect – the story started with Will, and it’ll end with Will.”

So, it seems that Stranger Things Season 5 will bring the characters back to where it all started, with a focus on the original groupings and pairings from Season 1. The season is also said to jump straight into the action, with a "pedal to metal" approach from the opening scene. The Duffer Brothers have confirmed they are trying not to introduce any new characters for the final season and will focus on resolving the unresolved issues of the OG characters, including Will Byers, who will be a major focus of the show. The Stranger Things writers have also teased that the upcoming season will be like a combination of two fan-favorite seasons, and Matt Duffer has compared the season's tone to that of Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi.

In a July 2022 interview on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Matt Duffer was asked whether the show will solely be set in Hawkins, to which he replied:

“That’s what we anticipate and hope to do, which is to just to keep it contained in Hawkins. It’s going to feel a lot larger in scale than Season 1. We want to go back to a lot of things we did in Season 1 and a lot of the original groupings and pairings we had in Season 1.”

As of now, there is no trailer or release date for Stranger Things 5. We will come up with more updates on the show. Season 1 to 4 of the show is currently available on Netflix. Keep a tab on Devdiscourse for more appraises on Netflix dramas.

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