Almost two years have passed since You Season 4 came to Netflix in early 2023, and the wait is still going for Season 5 with no release date confirmed yet.
Netflix is bringing Penn Badgley's Joe Goldberg back for one last round of mystery (where set photos suggest his worst nightmare may be coming true).
Netflix's You Season 5 Release Delays Explained
Netflix officially renewed You for a fifth and final season on March 24, 2023, just over a month before the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike began on May 2.
The start of the writers' and actors' strikes of 2023 affected projects across Hollywood, including You, as the writers' room ground to a halt and scripting work was placed on indefinite hold.
This strike would not be resolved until September 24, 2023, at which point the writers could pick back up their pens and continue work on You's final season.
While all this was going on, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) began their own strike which ran from July 14 to November 9, 2023.
During the SAG-AFTRA movement, none of the cast would have been able to begin filming, even if the scripts had been ready in time.
You would not begin filming until March 25, 2024 (via Netflix), almost exactly a year after the streaming sensation was renewed for Season 5.
This marks You's longest gap ever between a renewal and starting production, beating the 10-month record that was held by Season 3. Meanwhile, Season 4 had just five months between its renewal in October 2021 and filming in March 2022.
The record wait for new episodes of You came between Seasons 2 and 3, which had 659 days between their releases in December 2019 and October 2021.
On December 27, 2024, Season 5 will steal the record for the longest wait for a new season of You, and it will likely break it by some margin.
Much as Season 3 suffered many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fifth season has faced the same struggles due to the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes, which may have shifted its premiere by at least half a year.
When Will You Season 5 Finally Release?
You Season 5 started filming in New York City in March 2024 and wrapped production in August (via Netflix). By comparison, Season 4 finished filming in August 2022 and premiered its first episodes in February 2023.
If Netflix were to follow the same pattern for Season 5, fans could see Joe Goldberg's final chapter premiere in early 2025, possibly in February once more.
Much like many other major Netflix series such as Cobra Kai, Stranger Things, and Bridgerton, the last season of You was released in two parts around a month apart.
As listed by WGA, You Season 5 will have ten episodes (the same as Season 4), meaning it could once again be split into two five-episode releases.
You Season 5 will premiere on Netflix in 2025.
