Stranger Things Season 4 To Be Split Into Two Parts; Series Will End With Season 5

“Every ending has a beginning”, so says the tagline on the posters for the long-waited fourth season of Netflix’s sci-fi horror series Stranger Things.

The beginning starts on May 27, when Volume 1 will drop, followed by Volume 2 on July 1, the streaming service announced on Thursday (Feb 17). And the ending? The 1980s-set saga, which premiered in 2016, will conclude in the fifth and final season.

Sharing the news on social media, creators Matt and Ross Duffer said in a letter, “With nine scripts, over 800 pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

“Given the unprecedented length, and to get it to you as soon as possible, Season 4 will be released in two volumes. Volume One will release on May 27; Volume Two will release five weeks later on July 1. So that’s the good news. It’s coming soon. And it’s better than ever. It’s also the beginning of the end.”

They continued, “Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you’ll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.

“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes. But first, we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down. As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”

It may be six months for the Hawkins kids — played by Millie Bobby Brown, Noah Schnapp, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Natalie Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Maya Hawke — but out in the real world, it’s close to three years: Season 3 premiered on July 4, 2019.

Since then, the show has released a few teasers, including one that reveals David Harbor’s Chief Hopper survived the Season 3 cliffhanger.