(L-R) Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder and Noah Schnapp are pictured on the set of Stranger Things. Photo:
Stranger Things Netflix/Instagram
The cast of Stranger Things has officially said goodbye.
On Friday, Dec. 10, the Netflix series announced it has wrapped filming on the fifth and final season, which is due to premiere next year, and shared a collection of photos from the set, as cast members began to pay tribute to the life-changing series.
“We just wrapped Stranger Things Season 5. I’m still in shock,” Finn Wolfhard wrote on Instagram. “We shot it for a year and I’ll miss all of my friends and our characters terribly.”
He shared a photo from season 1 of the cast as babies, as he wrote, “When I think of the show, I picture this first photo. A bunch of goofy young people making something they think is cool but really have no clue what’s to come. I feel like we’re still those people and I’m lucky to still stand beside them today.”
In the photo, Wolfhard, now 21, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp and Gaten Matarazzo are between the ages of 10 and 12 as they pose alongside Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery and Natalia Dyer. “I hope you’ll love this season as much as I do,” he added. “See you all next year. 🚲🚲🚲🚲.”
Schnapp, 20, also posted a lengthy farewell to the show, as he shared 10 “valuable life/career lessons I learned” during his decade as Will Byers.
“Two days ago, I wrapped my final scene as Will Byers, and I’m feeling very emotional,” he began the post, before shouting out what he learned from the Duffer brothers, Shawn Levy, Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, Millie Bobby Brown, Matarazzo, McLaughlin, 23, Sadie Sink and Heaton.
Ryder “sparked my love for film by introducing me to her favorite classics from movies like Terms of Endearment to Almost Famous,” he wrote, while Matarazzo, 22, “taught me that it’s cool to be a nerd” and Bobby Brown, 20, “taught me to embrace my silliness.”
(L-R) Maya Hawke, Joey Keery, Finn Wolfhard and Charlie Heaton are pictured on the set of Stranger Things. Stranger Things Netflix/Instagram
Sink, 22, taught Schnapp to “embrace the child inside us and never let that go” and Heaton, 30, “showed me that true masculinity is rooted in love, kindness, and gentle compassion.”
“Growing up I always felt like an outcast, unsure of where I fit in. Navigating life in the spotlight while carrying this feeling, through every awkward phase and embarrassing moment exposed for the world to see, has definitely been an unusual experience. But I’ve been honored to share it with my incredible co-stars, who understand it in a way that no one else can,” Schnapp continued.
Calling the Netflix show — which he joined when he was only 10 years old — “more than a job,” Schnapp continued, “It was a lifelong dream. A dream made reality thanks to the Duffers. Thank you for taking a chance on me when I was just a 10 year old kid and entrusting me with something so important to you both.”
“Together, this cast + crew has built something so very special, and I couldn’t be any more excited for the world to see the final chapter. Stranger Things is a never ending story for me – it’s in my heart forever.❤️”
(L-R) Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Finn Wolfhard are pictured on the set of Stranger Things. noahschnapp/Instagram
Ross Duffer also bid farewell to the show in an Instagram post, as he reflected on the near decade the team has been working on Stranger Things, calling it “a defining part of their childhood” for the core cast.
“They’ve grown up before our eyes, becoming more than actors—they’ve become family,” he wrote.
Teasing the final season, Ross wrote, “Everyone involved was determined to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion. They poured their hearts and souls into it, and we couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve accomplished. We can’t wait to share it with you all next year. Until then—over and out.”
Not much is known yet about the final season of the series, though Netflix revealed in a teaser in November that there will be a time jump, as season 4 took place in the spring of 1986, and season 5 will pick up “in the Fall of 1987.”
The teaser, which was released on Stranger Things Day, also revealed the episode titles for the eight final chapters of the story: “The Crawl;” “The Vanishing of ___;” “The Turnbow Trap;” “Sorcerer;” “Shock Jock;” “Escape From Camazotz;” “The Bridge;” and the series finale will be titled “The Rightside Up.”
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Stranger Things season 5 will premiere on Netflix in 2025.