The shoot of the final season of Netflix’s original Stranger Things has halted due to the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The series co-creators and co-showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer brothers, shared a statement to announce it. (Also Read | Stranger Things animated series ‘in vein of Saturday morning cartoons’ ordered by Netflix)
The Duffers issued a statement from the Stranger Writers Twitter account, which has offered Stranger Things fans a glimpse into the series’ writers’ room over the years, reported Variety. Writing on the fifth and final season commenced in August 2022, shortly after the fourth season premiered.
The post read, “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.”
As the most streamed series of 2022, Stranger Things now joins a growing group of Netflix series, such as Big Mouth and Cobra Kai, facing delays and production pauses amid the ongoing writers’ strike.
After the original Stranger Things concludes, fans can expect an animated series set in the Stranger Things world, which is set to be produced by the Duffer brothers, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen.
The animated series is the latest Stranger Things offshoot to stem from the Duffers’ Upside Down Pictures banner, which is based on a rich overall deal at Netflix. In addition to the upcoming fifth and final season of the original series, the siblings recently announced a London stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and have another untitled live-action spinoff of the flagship series in the works.
Created by the Duffer Brothers, the Netflix original show is set in the 1980s and takes a look at the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, where a secret government lab accidentally opens a door to another dimension referred to as the Upside Down.
The show features an ensemble cast of Winona Ryder, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, David Harbour, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery and others. The show will conclude with its upcoming fifth season.