Stranger Things 5 first look teases final season; filming halfway complete

It’s almost time to return to Hawkins, as Stranger Things season 5 is halfway through filming. To commemorate the eighth anniversary of Stranger Things on July 15, Netflix released a first-look video of Stranger Things 5, complete with a behind-the-scenes peek at filming and interviews with the cast and crew.

“Season 4 was big. Season 5 definitely feels bigger,” Jamie Campbell Bower, who plays Henry Creel/Vecna, says in the video. The nearly two-minute clip features shots of the core four — Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Dustin (Gates Matarazzo), and Will (Noah Schnapp) — together again. Mille Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, also reminisces about her 10 years on the show. Other characters in the footage include Nancy (Natalia Dyer), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), Steve (Joe Keery), and Joyce (Winona Ryder).

Behind The Scenes | Stranger Things 5 | On Set of The Final Season | Netflix

One of the biggest names to join the season 5 cast is Linda Hamilton, the iconic actress who played Sarah Connor in The Terminator. Monday’s video revealed three new additions to the cast: Nell Fisher (Choose Love), Alex Breaux (Waco: The Aftermath), and newcomer Jake Connelly.

Much of season 5’s plot remains under wraps. However, the series is expected to pick up shortly after the Upside Down invaded Hawkins in the closing moments of the season 4 finale. The season 5 premiere episode will be titled “The Crawl.”

Premiering in 2016, Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s signature franchises. Seasons 3 and 4 are two of the 10 most popular Netflix shows of all time. Season 4 first aired in July 2022. Netflix has not announced a premiere date for Stranger Things season 5. However, the final chapter is expected to arrive in 2025.

“The wait will be worth it,” McLaughlin says in the video.