Stranger Things season 5 release date and latest news

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is finally upon us, with the first four episodes available to watch now.

But with the show having been running for almost a decade, there are countless storylines to conclude and characters to do justice.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, the Duffer brothers previously explained how they studied their favourite finales to try and work out how to approach the ending of Stranger Things.

"We looked at Six Feet Under, which is one of the great finales that I've ever seen. We looked at Breaking Bad, we looked at Friday Night Lights, so there was definitely a handful of them that we looked and studied. Not for the plot specifically, but just like, why did that work for us and other fans of those shows?"

Matt Duffer added of the Stranger Things finale: "There's a sense of inevitability. When you're looking at shows that don't work, or the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different.

"So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for."

It looks as if season 5 could well live up to expectations, however, if the dazzling Stranger Things trailers – which have generated enormous chatter about who might die in the finale – are anything to go by.

Are you excited to learn all the secrets that Stranger Things season 5 has in store? Fear not: we've got everything you need to know about the upcoming run, which is dropping in three epic volumes.

Stranger Things season 5 release date: When is it coming out in the UK?

The first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 (aka Volume 1) landed on Wednesday 26th November in the US and on Thursday 27th November in the UK, meaning they're available to watch now.

The next three episodes (aka Volume 2) will be released on Christmas Day (Thursday 25th December) in the US and on Boxing Day (Friday 26th December) in the UK.

And the grand finale will cap things off on New Year's Eve (Wednesday 31st December) in the US and on New Year's Day (Thursday 1st January 2026) in the UK.

Each volume releases at 5pm PT, which equates to 1am here in the UK.

The two-hour finale will also be shown in over 350 cinemas in the US and Canada at the same time as it drops on Netflix. Alas, the episode does not appear to be getting a theatrical run in the UK.

How many episodes are in Stranger Things season 5?

Stranger Things season 5 will consist of eight episodes.

This is the same number of episodes as seasons 1 and 3, but one less than seasons 2 and 4. Regardless, this is likely to clock in as one of the longest entries in the saga due to the extensive runtimes already announced (more on that below).

What are the Stranger Things 5 episode titles?

Netflix has revealed the titles to all eight episodes in Stranger Things 5, and they have stirred up plenty of speculation among the fanbase.

Here's an overview of all the episodes in Stranger Things season 5 and their runtimes:

1. Episode 1 - The Crawl (1 hour and 8 minutes)
2. Episode 2 - The Vanishing Of... (54 minutes)
3. Episode 3 - The Turnbow Trap (1 hour and 6 minutes)
4. Episode 4 - Sorcerer (1 hour and 23 minutes)
5. Episode 5 - Shock Jock (TBC)
6. Episode 6 - Escape From Camazotz (TBC)
7. Episode 7 - The Bridge (TBC)
8. Episode 8 - The Rightside Up (approx. 2 hours)

The title of the second episode has left people particularly intrigued over who exactly will be "vanishing" this time around. (It also serves as an homage to the first ever episode, The Vanishing of Will Byers.)

In an Instagram post (below), Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer described The Crawl as the "most eventful first episode since season 1" and said that The Vanishing Of... boasts the "craziest cold open we've ever done".

When is Stranger Things season 5 set?

Stranger Things season 5 will feature a time jump to explain why the appearances of the young cast have changed, bringing the characters' ages in line with those of the cast.

A brief description of Stranger Things season 5, released along with the episode titles, stated that "in the fall of 1987, one last adventure begins" – confirming that this story will take place roughly one year after the fourth.

Who stars in Stranger Things season 5?

Of course, it wouldn't be Stranger Things without the original 'kids' (now all grown up), with a behind-the-scenes clip during production teasing more scenes of them together after season 4 split them up.

That means you can look forward to more scenes of Noah Schnapp (Will), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven).

For Schnapp, this included shooting season 1 flashbacks of his younger self lost in the Upside-Down, which relied upon a body double and state of the art 'de-aging' technology to recreate his childhood look.

Brown had previously gone through the process for Stranger Things 4, which revealed Eleven's backstory in greater depth, and so Schnapp asked his co-star for advice on how to achieve the best result.

"It was fun to step into those director shoes that we don't really get the chance to do on the show," he told Deadline.

"And think introspectively and reflectively of how I act and how I did act and move and breathe and turn and look and kind of relay that onto this little kid, who was so cute."

In terms of the scenes themselves, which see a young(er) Will going toe-to-toe with a Demogorgon, he added it was "gratifying" to find out what happened between the scenes in season 1, and teased that his character is "stronger than we may have believed".

Sadie Sink is also back as Max Mayfield, who befriended the group in season 2 and has since grown particularly close to Lucas, but the nature of her role remains unclear for the time being.

Max had a close brush with death in season 4, which left her comatose and potentially braindead. The first Stranger Things 5 trailer only featured her in an unconscious state, although Sink has previously teased that she may have more action to come.

Other returnees include Winona Ryder as Will's mother Joyce, David Harbour as Eleven's adoptive father Hopper, plus Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton and Joe Keery as love triangle trio Nancy, Jonathan and Steve.

Here's a list of the confirmed Stranger Things 5 cast – read on for more on the additions and absences in the line-up.

• Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
• Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
• David Harbour as Jim Hopper
• Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven/Jane Hopper
• Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
• Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
• Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
• Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
• Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
• Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
• Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
• Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
• Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
• Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
• Paul Reiser as Dr Sam Owens
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Peter Ballard/Henry Creel/One/Vecna
• Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
• Gabriella Pizzolo as Susie
• Linda Hamilton as Dr Kay
• Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
• Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow
• Alex Breaux as Lt Akers
• Amybeth McNulty as Vickie

Joining the line-up as a newcomer is Terminator icon Linda Hamilton, whose casting was announced at a TUDUM fan event. She said at the time: "I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time. I'm gonna work on that."

More recently, child actors Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) and Jake Connelly have joined the Stranger Things family, alongside Alex Breaux, who recently played a young Dr Brenner on Broadway's edition of stage play The First Shadow.

As for the show's Dr Brenner, it seems unlikely that he'll be returning after his expanded role in season 4 ended in calamity, despite actor Matthew Modine positing that his character might have survived (again).

Another character who won't be returning is Eduardo Franco's Argyle. Introduced in season 4, Argyle was a stoner friend of Jonathan Byers (played by Charlie Heaton), who quickly became a key part of the season.

He rescued Jonathan, Will (Noah Schnapp), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Agent Harmon (Ira Amyx) before helping Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) fight Vecna at the pizza parlour where he worked.

However, when asked if he'll be part of the final season on the Steve Varley Show, he said: "It's nice to hear that there's, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean? But I never got a phone call. So I think, yeah, I think that's it."

What will the plot of Stranger Things season 5 be?

Stranger Things season 5 will follow the final battle for Hawkins – and the world – after season 4 saw the barrier between our reality and the Upside-Down seemingly rupture for good.

The official synopsis for Stranger Things season 5 reads: "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown.

"Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.

"The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

Co-creator Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview that season 5 sticks to the "north star" ending that the team have had in mind for "a really long time," but allowed room for added detours that "often surprised" even them.

"Really the way we approach every season... was as if every season was a movie. Let’s not leave anything on the table," he explained.

Expanding further in an interview with RadioTimes.com, the Duffers revealed that they had studied past series finales in an attempt to avoid the pitfalls of the most infamous misfires.

"When you're looking at the endings that don't work, it is when it feels like sometimes the shows are trying too hard to surprise fans or do something different," theorised Matt.

"So we want it to feel very much in line with the show and the endings for each of the characters to feel inevitable. That's what we're striving for," he continued, citing Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under and Friday Night Lights as influential success stories.

In keeping with earlier seasons, we know this is going to be an emotional one.

While promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, producer Shawn Levy said: "It's not too far away but also not soon enough... When the Duffers pitched the story of season 5, nobody wasn't crying, including me. Not a dry eye in that room."

Stranger Things season 5 trailer

A full-length trailer has now been released and, as you probably already guessed, it looks like our heroes are really going to be put through the wringer this season as Vecna emerges from the darkness.

Watch for yourself below:

A second trailer focused on Volume 1 (consisting of episodes 1-4) followed, which had a more fun and optimistic tone – but still carries foreboding signs of trouble ahead. You can watch it on YouTube.

Will Stranger Things season 5 be the final season?

Yes, it's true! When season 5 was announced, it was confirmed that it would be the final season of the show.

However, spin-offs are in the works at Netflix, with an animated series titled Tales of '85 being first up, followed by a live-action anthology influenced by the unique style of Twin Peaks (via Deadline).

It's unclear just how involved the Duffer brothers will be in the latter project, given they recently closed a film and television deal with rival media giant Paramount.

Explaining the shock pivot, the filmmakers said that they were keen to release features for the big screen and support the embattled cinema experience, while Netflix's model is primarily focused on home viewing.

Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the premiere, producer Shawn Levy said that he'd love to see a Stranger Things spin-off focused on odd couple besties Dustin and Steve, but made no promises that such a project would become a reality.

Previously, Dustin actor Matarazzo has suggested that he would consider reprising the role, but only after a break to pursue other opportunities – understandable after committing about a decade to Stranger Things.

He said: "If you were to ask me a year from now if I wanted to come back, I'd probably be like, 'I’m gonna do some other stuff for a bit initially,' but who knows what it's going to be like?"

"I would love to see, potentially, if there's a continuation of Dustin after [season] 5, if any of us make it up to that point, I would love to see what would happen, what Dustin would be like as a 30-year-old."

Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are available on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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