Stranger Things is officially coming back for a fifth and final season, and here's when it could finally release on Netflix after years of waiting.
Fans of Netflix supernatrual saga were kept waiting three years between Seasons 3 and 4 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the same is expected to be true for the fifth and final outing due to delays caused by the Hollywood strikes of 2023.
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Stranger Things Season 5 Updates
Stranger Things 5 was announced by Netflix in February 2025 alongside plans for a new spin-off and to split Season 4 into a two-part release - via Deadline.
Writing work for Season 5 began in early August 2022 - via the writers' room account on X (formerly Twitter) - as the team began mapping out all eight episodes in the grid stage, which was finally completed by late September.
Back in May 2023, the writers' room confirmed Season 5 had been delayed due to the WGA strike because "writing does not stop when filming begins:"
"Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out."
With both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes now finished, filming finally began on January 8 as the Stranger Things X account offered a look at the cast and crew reunited in one room, ready to begin work on the final episodes.
The popular duo of Steve (Joe Keery) and Robin (Maya Hawke) were pictured together on set in the first days of production, perhaps suggesting the pair will share scenes from the get-go in Season 5.
Eleven actress Millie Bobby Brown joined the series' creators, the Duffer Brothers, on the Hawkins set:
There was also a peak at the return of Finn Wolfhard's Mike, who appeared to be sat in deep contemplation.
Despite the death of Joseph Quinn's Eddie Munson last season, the Hellfire Club will officially live on in Season 5 through fan-favorite Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo).
When Will Stranger Things Season 5 Release on Netflix?
Deadline confirmed previously how Stranger Things' fifth and final season won't debut until 2025, which will leave a three-year gap between Seasons 4 and 5, in part due to the impact of the Hollywood strikes.
Last August, Hopper actor David Harbour told The Hollywood Reporter that Stranger Things Season 5 will "shoot for a year," implying filming for the climactic outing ought to conclude somewhere between December 2024 and January 2025.
Pre-pandemic outings took around six to seven months to film and Mike Wheeler actor Finn Wolfhard told Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show how Season 4 "shot for 300 days," with many shutdowns on the way due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With around a year of shooting lined up for Season 5, not only should fans expect a similar runtime to Season 4 but also a roughly equal post-production period.
That said, Netflix may aim to ramp up the pace of both filming and post-production on Season 5 after Deadline reported the streamer is looking to prioritize its flagship series such as Stranger Things.
Filming wrapped on Stranger Things 4 in September 2021 before coming to Netflix in May 2022, around eight months later. As such, Stranger Things 5 should be ready to release around Fall 2025.
But after the last season released in two parts spread just over a month apart, history may repeat itself for Stranger Things 5 with an extra few weeks or months for the long-awaited series finale to arrive on Netflix.
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The first four seasons of Stranger Things are streaming now on Netflix, with the fifth and final outing set to arrive in 2025.
