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Stranger Things 5 Confirms Linda Hamilton Joining Final Season Cast

During Netflix's TUDUM global fan event, we learned that Linda Hamilton has joined the cast of the Duffer Brothers' Stranger Things.

Published Sat, 17 Jun 2023 17:59:10 -0500

by Ray Flook

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With Ross Duffer & Matt Duffer's (The Duffer Brothers) Stranger Things 5 bringing an end to the beloved series (no, it hasn't started yet) but the franchise's universe is set to be expanded in a number of different ways (animation, live theater, etc.), it was tough to predict what the fans might be getting during Netflix's global fan event TUDUM. Well, how about some major casting news? Because only moments ago, we learned that Linda Hamilton ("Terminator" franchise, Resident Alien) has joined the cast of Stranger Things 5, keeping the streak of 80s legends (Winona Ryder, Elwes, Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser & Robert Englund) that have graced the show with their presence going. Here's a look at the promo image that was released along with the news:

Matt & Ross Duffer Discuss Stranger Things 5

Ross on Having "Quite a Bit More" of the "Overall Plan" & "Backstory" to Reveal: "I remember season one, we were just amazed that Netflix was letting us do this at all, but season two was when we really, with the writers, we developed an overall plan and a backstory for all of this and make sure that, with the Upside Down, everything about what it was." Though the fourth season offered quite a few answers, Ross says "we do have quite a bit more to get in. But just as important as the supernatural, we have so many characters now – most who are still living – and it's important to wrap up those arcs. A lot of these characters have been growing since season one, so it's a balancing act between giving them time to complete their character arcs and also tying up loose ends and doing our final reveals."

Matt on Making Netflix Execs Cry During 2-Hour Final Season Pitch Meeting: "We did get our executives to cry, which I felt was a good sign that these executives were crying. The only other times I've seen them cry were like budget meetings [crowd laughs]."

Season 5 Does Right by "The Lifeblood of 'Stranger Things'" – Levy: "As a witness and having been in that two-hour pitch room and having read this first script – I'm paralyzed with fear that I'll spoil anything, but I will say the thing about these Duffer Brothers is that even though the show has gotten so famous and the characters have gotten so iconic, and there's so much about the '80s and the supernatural and the genre, it's about these people, it's about these characters. Season five is already so clearly taking care of these stories of the characters because that's always been the lifeblood of 'Stranger Things.'"

Season 5 Will Be "A Culmination" of Previous Seasons' Pop Culture Themes/References – Ross: The final season will be "a culmination of all of the seasons, so it's sort of got a little bit from each, whereas before each season was so distinctly – three, this is our big summer blockbuster season with our big monster; four was the psychological horror. I think that what we're trying to do is go back to the beginning a little bit in the tone of [season] one, but scale-wise it's more in line with what [season] four is. Hopefully, it's got a little bit of everything."

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