Here’s everything we know about why the beloved series is ending after season five.
The Duffer Brothers Quotes About “Stranger Things” Ending
On Feb. 17, the Duffer brothers shared in a heartfelt open letter on Instagram that “Stranger Things” will be ending after season five. “Seven years ago, we planned the entire story arc for ‘Stranger Things,'” the Duffer brothers wrote. “At that time, we predicted the story would run for four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but – as you will see for yourself – we are now moving towards our finale. Season 4 Final Season Will be; season 5 will be the last.”
In other words, “Stranger Things” is ending naturally from a story perspective. If this note is anything to go by, the creative force behind the global hit series is gearing up to go a notch higher, and we can’t wait to see it all.
The two shared that the fourth season would be the show’s biggest outing to date, with an extended episode runtime (the reason for the season being split into two segments). “With nine scripts, more than eight hundred pages, nearly two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and nearly twice the runtime of any previous season, ‘Stranger Things 4’ was the most challenging season yet, but the most A rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you,” he wrote.
Shawn Levy’s Quote About “Stranger Things” Ending
“Stranger Things” executive producer and director Shawn Levy echoed the Duffer brothers’ sentiments, saying the decision to end the show after season five was made long ago. “It feels like this particular story with these particular characters has an organic lifespan, and we want to keep landing, and we don’t want to overstay our welcome,” Levy told The Wrap in March. “So we have a clear vision and plan, always led by the Duffer brothers with clarity of voice and vision.” He added that season four was created with season five in mind, noting that the Duffer brothers “had an idea of how they wanted to wrap it up for a while, and that informs season four”. “
Quotes from the “Stranger Things” Cast About the Show’s Finale
Like viewers, the cast and crew of “Stranger Things” aren’t ready to say goodbye just yet.
Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, revealed the cast’s emotional reaction to the news during his appearance on the March 11 episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” Schnapp told Fallon that he read the official letter that the Duffer brothers published at the same time as the rest of the world. “So he put out this letter, and it was like, ‘The show is ending, that’s all. This is the beginning of the end.’ And I read it, and I just bawled. I was so upset,” the teen actor said. When he reached out to his co-stars, he found them in a similar emotional headspace. “I got Miley — my classmate, who plays Eleven. And she was like, ‘You’re crying too?’ Like, ‘So am I.’ And then she texted Gaten, who also plays Dustin, and he said, ‘I’m crying too.’ And then we all texted the Duffers, and we were like, ‘This is so sad. Like, I can’t believe it’s over.’ And they said, ‘You guys need to stop messaging us. Like, I know it’s over, but we have time left.’