Is Stranger Things season 5 coming in 2023? (here’s what we know)

It’s certainly never a short wait between new seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix! Fans of the popular sci-fi drama have really learned what it means to be patient. With season 4 part 2 having been released on July 1, 2022, is Stranger Things season 5 coming in 2023?

Creators Matt and Ross Duffer (a.k.a. the Duffer Brothers), previously stated that the wait between seasons 4 and 5 wouldn’t be as long as the one between the third and fourth season. If you remember, we had to wait nearly three years between those two!

But with some of what’s happening in Hollywood right now, initial plans have been thrown into disarray. So when can we expect the fifth and final season of the Netflix hit? What details do we know for now? Read on below to find out.

Is Stranger Things season 5 coming in 2023?

Stranger Things season 5 is not coming in 2023. As of Aug. 23, 2023, it’s been more than a year since the season 4 finale debuted on Netflix. So why aren’t we seeing the sci-fi horror this year? Let’s go through the timeline of events that we know of.

First, the fifth and final season was renewed back in February 2022, but writing on the series didn’t start until Aug. 2 of that year, per a social media post by the Stranger Things writers account. Then, production was supposed to start up in the summer of 2023, with a planned release date of mid or late 2024, per Entertainment Weekly.

However, those plans were halted due to the writers strike and the actors strike. Though we do want to highlight the fact that even before the strikes went into effect, the plan was to bring season 5 to Netflix in 2024. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) officially went on strike May 2, 2023. And though it sounds like the scripts have been mostly written, that doesn’t mean work was going to continue. On May 7, 2023, the Duffer Brothers shared the following on social media:

"Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this [writers] strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong"

So even if the actors’ union did not go on strike as well, the Duffer Brothers did not plan on going back to filming until the writers strike was resolved with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represents the big studios in Hollywood.

Is Stranger Things season 5 coming in 2024?

However, now production on the series will continue to be delayed since the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have officially been on strike since July 14, 2023. So at the moment, no writers or actors are working, not just on Stranger Things, but most shows and movies.

This means that Stranger Things season 5 has not even started filming yet. We don’t know if a mid or late 2024 release date is still going to be possible. When, and if, the two strikes are resolved, then we’ll have a clearer picture. But for now, all we can do is wait to see what updates come our way. Hopefully the show can still make 2024 work!

Stranger Things seasons 1 to 4 are streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to Netflix Life as we bring you updates about Stranger Things season 5!