Stranger Things season 5 is a return to the dynamics of season 1

After being delayed several months by the writers strike and the actors strike, season 5 of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things finally went into production at the start of the year and is now three months into its twelve month shooting schedule… but in the midst of filming, Finn Wolfhard is also doing the press rounds to promote the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which, of course, also serves as a sequel to the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II), which is set to reach theatres on March 22nd. An interview with The Hollywood Reporter was part of his press tour, and during that conversation, Wolfhard was asked about the ongoing production of Stranger Things season 5, which will also be the final season of the show. Since this is how it wraps up, it seems fitting that Wolfhard said it will be a return of the dynamics of the first season.

When asked how his Stranger Things character Mike Wheeler is doing, Wolfhard said, “He is well! He’s good. This last season is sort of a crossroads, and so we’re getting back into a lot of the dynamics of season one, which is really fun. There’s some ‘leader Mike’ moments, and it’s a very grand season, obviously. Every season has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger, and this season is huge, but it’s also kind of isolated as well. So it’s really fun, and I’m very excited for people to see it. … Not being around everyone all the time was definitely a bummer about filming 4, but 5 is the opposite. We’re all together all the time, and a bunch of us live around the corner and across the street from each other in real life. So the cast is really seeing each other a lot, and we’re in a lot of the same scenes, which has been really great. … We’re about three months in, and it’s really crazy. You think about how to be as present as possible, but then at the same time, you’re conflicted that this is the last one. So I’m trying to find that balance of staying present while also knowing that this is going to be the last season. But it’s been great.“

Wolfhard was also asked if he was frustrated by the fact that Stranger Things season 4 was delayed by the pandemic, then season 5 was delayed by the strikes. He said, “I’m definitely not frustrated. It is what it is. You spend so much time on a show that it’s all-encompassing, and it’s something that means so much to me. It’s the thing that made my career, and it really shaped my life. So as far as the show not coming out yet, the only frustrating part is wanting to see it and having to wait. I just want people to see it and I want to be able to see it. But the rest of it? No. I’m indebted to Stranger Things, and it’ll take however long it’s going to take. There’s no way to control that, so you might as well just ride it.“

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things has the following synopsis: A love letter to the ‘80s classic genre films that captivated a generation, Stranger Things is a thrilling drama set in the seemingly normal Midwestern town of Hawkins, Indiana. After a boy vanishes into thin air, his close-knit group of friends and family search for answers and are pulled into a high-stakes and deadly series of events. Beneath the surface of their ordinary town lurks an extraordinary supernatural mystery, along with top-secret government experiments and a dangerous gateway that connects our world to a powerful yet sinister realm. Friendships will be tested and lives will be altered as what they discover will change Hawkins and possibly the world — forever.

Here’s the list of the cast members and the characters they played in season 4: Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair), Noah Schnapp (Will Byers), Sadie Sink (Max Mayfield), Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan Byers), Joe Keery (Steve Harrington), Maya Hawke (Robin Buckley), Priah Ferguson (Erica Sinclair), Brett Gelman (Murray), Cara Buono (Karen Wheeler), Matthew Modine (Dr. Brenner), Paul Reiser (Dr. Owens), Jamie Campbell Bower (Peter Ballard), Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson), Eduardo Franco (Argyle), Sherman Augustus (Lt. Colonel Sullivan), Mason Dye (Jason Carver), Nikola Djuricko (Yuri), Tom Wlaschiha (Dmitri), Myles Truitt (Patrick), Regina Ting Chen (Ms. Kelly), Grace Van Dien (Chrissy), Logan Riley Bruner (Fred Benson), Logan Allen (Jake), Elodie Grace Orkin (Angela), John Reynolds (Officer Callahan), Rob Morgan (Chief Powell), Amybeth McNulty (Vickie), and Freddy Krueger himself Robert Englund (Victor Creel).

Stranger Things is produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment. Series creators The Duffer Brothers serve as executive producers alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps Entertainment, Iain Paterson, and Curtis Gwinn.

10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey director Dan Trachtenberg will be directing an episode of the final season, likely sometime before he heads off to make the new Predator movie Badlands in July.

Are you looking forward to Stranger Things season 5, and are you glad to hear that Finn Wolfhard says it’s a return to the dynamics of the first season? Let us know by leaving a comment below.