The final season of "Stranger Things" promises to revolutionize the 2025 holiday season, as Netflix unveils a groundbreaking rollout plan for the hit series' fifth and conclusive chapter. This epic conclusion will be unleashed in three electrifying phases. The initial volume, comprising four thrilling episodes, will kick off on November 26th, just a day prior to Thanksgiving, in a groundbreaking announcement made at Netflix Tudum 2025: The Live Event, held at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and shared via a YouTube video on May 31st.
The second volume of season five, consisting of three captivating installments, will make its debut on December 25th – Christmas Day. The grand finale of "Stranger Things" will then make its long-awaited appearance the following week, precisely on New Year's Day in 2025.
After a hiatus of over three years since the conclusion of its fourth season in 2022, the show's return is highly anticipated. In a teaser released in November 2024, Netflix confirmed that season five is set in the autumn of 1987, a year after Eleven's presumed disappearance was first reported.
While the veil of secrecy surrounding other plot details remains tightly drawn, creators Ross and Matt Duffer, collectively known as the Duffer Brothers, have offered a glimpse into the monumental task of filming the final season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ross revealed during the Next on Netflix event in January, "We spent a full year filming this season, capturing over 650 hours of footage. This is undoubtedly our most ambitious and largest-scale season yet. It's akin to eight blockbuster movies rolled into one; it's truly mind-blowing."
In February, Millie Bobby Brown confided in E! News about the emotional turmoil of bidding farewell to the show that has been her growing-up companion. She shared, "Saying goodbye on the last day was heart-wrenching. Leaving behind my beloved crew, cast, and directors who are the best I've ever worked with was incredibly difficult." She further extolled, "What an extraordinary production I was fortunate enough to be part of."
Her co-star Finn Wolfhard echoed these sentiments of sorrow regarding the show's end, posting on Instagram in December, "We've just wrapped up 'Stranger Things' Season 5. I'm still in disbelief. After a year of shooting, I'll miss my friends, our characters, terribly." Alongside throwback photos featuring fellow cast members Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Joe Keery, and Natalia Dyer, Finn reminisced, "When I reflect on the show, this first photo comes to mind – a group of quirky young individuals creating something they believed was cool, unaware of the colossal journey ahead. I feel like we're still those same people, and I'm grateful to still stand by their side today."
He then whetted fans' appetites for what's to come, adding, "I hope you'll cherish this season as much as I do. See you all next year."
