Stranger Things season 5 releasing in 2025 might not be a certainty as its creators admit that target is "quite the push"

Eleven holding out her hand in Stranger Things
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers say it's "important for Netflix" that its final season arrives in 2025, but admits there's plenty more still to do before it reaches that target.

"A lot of it hasn’t been decided, in terms of exactly the release dates and cadence. That’s one reason I’m not allowed to talk about it," Matt Duffer tells Variety about the release plans of Stranger Things season 5. "We’re getting on a call in about a couple weeks about it. I just know it was very important for us and Netflix that we get it out this year. But even that is quite the push."

The Duffer brothers have revealed that they're currently "cutting all the visual effects sequences" for the new season and "working as fast as we possibly can" to ensure it meets its slated 2025 release.

Ross Duffer added, "Even season 4, we cut that so tight. We were dropping in visual effects shots the day after the launch! So hopefully we'll be a little more on schedule this year… now it’s just sort of climbing up another hill as we head towards finally finishing this."

It's little wonder there's such a mad dash to the finish as we prepare to say goodbye to some of Hawkins' finest. Stranger Things season 5, the show's last, required an entire year's worth of filming. At a recent press event attended by 12DOVE, it was revealed that over 650 hours of footage was shot – and there's been plenty of speculation about the remaining episodes could each surpass 60-minute runtime.

Despite the uncertainty over a release date, there's been little stopping Stranger Things season 5's latest marketing campaign. In it, a poster declaring Eleven has gone missing requires fans to call a number – and be met by a message from Hawkins PD.

Stranger Things season 5 is still set for 2025. For more, check out our picks for the best shows on Netflix.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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