Stranger Things season 4 might have arrived last July, but don’t expect Stranger Things season 5 to premiere in July 2023.
This time last year, Stranger Things fans across the globe returned to Hawkins, Indiana for the eventful final two episodes of season 4 which dropped on Netflix on July 1, 2022. Sadly, there will be no new episodes of the show to enjoy this month.
Contrary to the pattern of past seasons, which have seen new seasons gracing our screens in July, the highly anticipated fifth and final season won’t be hitting our binge-watching queues this summer.
While we can return to Hawkins by binging the first four seasons, we won’t be able to enjoy a new season this July as the wait for season 5 is going to be a long one that will extend far beyond the month of July.
Is Stranger Things season 5 coming in 2023?
Sadly, the final season of Stranger Things will not be coming to Netflix in 2023. As disappointing as this might be, it’s not entirely surprising as the season was never anticipated to arrive in 2023; however, the show was slated to begin filming this year.
Filming on season 5 was set to begin in May 2023, but production on the final season never kicked off due to the WGA strike. On May 6, the Duffer Brothers revealed that production on the show would not start until after a deal is struck for the writers. As of July 1, the WGA remains on strike meaning that production on season 5 of Stranger Things remains on pause.
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 strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
Considering we don’t know when the WGA strike will be resolved, it’s hard to know when exactly the upcoming final season will begin filming. It seems likely that Netlfix will attempt to rush the show back into production as soon as a deal is struck and the writers can get back to work.
That said, there is a chance production could be delayed further even after the strike concludes due to the schedules of the show’s stars and the seasonal weather which could affect shooting locations. All we know at this time is the show won’t be coming in 2023 and the earliest we’d see the season arrive would be 2024.