Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer have expanded on what fans can expect from the fifth and final season of their ’80s-set Netflix phenomenon.
During a Sunday night FYC panel at the streamer’s Tudum Theater in Los Angeles, the twin filmmakers were asked if they have new ’80s pop culture influences in mind that will shape the final season, in the way A Nightmare on Elm StreetSeason 4 was created by Freddy Kreuger, its villain
“[Season] 5, the way we see it, is kind of a culmination of all the seasons, so it’s sort of got a little bit from each,”Ross Duffer spoke to a packed house. “Whereas before each season was so distinctly, you know… 3 is our big summer blockbuster season with big monsters, and 4 was the psychological horror, I think that what we’re trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit, in sort of the tone of 1.
“But also scale-wise, it’s more aligned with what 4 is,”He concluded. “So, hopefully, it’s got a little bit of everything.”
Matt Duffer explains that there is one major difference between Season 5 and previous seasons. This is the threat facing the teens’ heroes and the world they know. “all kind of out in the open” — whereas most adults had, in the past, been oblivious to evil forces at work.
Stranger ThingsThe Upside Down is a sci-fi drama about a group of children from Hawkins, Indiana. The show’s latest season, released in two volumes over the summer, picks up months after the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. A new, terrifying supernatural threat appears at this time. It presents a horrifying mystery that, if solved might bring an end to the horrors from the Upside Down.
The Duffers were joined for tonight’s panel — moderated by Patton Oswalt — by director-EP Shawn Levy, as well as longtime cast members Caleb McLaughlin, Priah Ferguson and Millie Bobby Brown — with the latter, chiming in virtually. Popular Season 4 additions Eduardo Franco, Joseph Quinn, and Jamie Campbell Bower were among those who appeared in person.
Ross Duffer, a member of the writing team, confirmed that there are no major Season 5 takeaways. “on to the second”episode has been submitted to Netflix as the first script “a couple of weeks ago.”(The Season 5 opening title is “Chapter One: The Crawl,”As Netflix just revealed last week.
Ross said that the team is moving forward. “full steam ahead”Writing begins by having first “developed an overall plan and backstory”Season 2 of the Upside Down. He said that although some questions about this amazing arena were answered in Season 4, others will be addressed in Season 4. “quite a bit” to unravel in the show’s final year. “But just as important as the supernatural, we have so many characters now, most of whom are still living,”Duffer went on. “It’s important to wrap up those arcs because a lot of these characters have been growing since Season 1. So, it’s a balancing act between giving them time to complete their character arcs, and also tying up these loose ends and doing our final reveals.”
Matt Duffer, at a different point in the conversation, recounted the story of the two hour Season 5 pitch that left Netflix executives in tears. “I felt [that] was a good sign,”He joked that he was joking “the only other time I’ve seen them cry is at budget meetings.”
Levy went on to back up Duffer’s account of the meeting, having been present for it. “I’m paralyzed with fear that I’ll spoil anything, but I will say, the thing about these Duffer brothers is that even though the show has gotten so famous and the characters have gotten so iconic, and they’re so much about the ‘80s and the supernatural and the genre, it’s about these people. It’s about these characters,”He stated. “Season 5 is already so clearly taking care of these stories of characters, because that’s always been the lifeblood of Stranger Things.”
While Stranger ThingsThe fifth and final season of the show was renewed in February. When the final chapter will air, however, is still unknown. Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment received 13 Emmy nominations. They were nominated for the show’s prosthetic makeup, sound editing and sound mixing music supervision as well as for stunt coordination. Levy’s exec produces 21 Laps along with Curtis Gwinn and Iain Paterson.