Stranger Things, a signature show for Netflix since its premiere in 2016, has been renewed for a fifth and final season.
In addition to the climactic renewal, the company said the long-awaited Season 4 of the show will premiere in two "volumes," the first on May 27 and the second on July 1. In an open letter to fans (read it in full below), co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer said the split season resulted from the season's nine episodes having a total running time twice as long as that of any previous season.
The Duffer Bros noted that the full arc was expected to be "four or five" seasons when they first envisioned the show, so the end is not a surprise. Plus, it won't be the end of the franchise, they promised.
"There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things: new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes," they wrote. "But first we hope you stay with us as we finish this tale."
The third season debuted more than two-and-a-half years ago, on July 4, 2019. In its final moments, Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) is seen taking her sons (Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) out of their Indiana town to start a new life. After a jump in geography, the final scene takes place in the far Eastern part of the Soviet Union, where guards are feeding a prisoner to an imprisoned Demogorgon — but "not the American."
A three-time Emmy nominee for Best Drama, the series is one of Netflix's most-watched titles to date. Season 3 drew 582 million hours of viewing, ranking as the second most-popular English-language series in Netflix's Top 10. Season 2 had 427 million hours, ranking No. 10.
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