Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: stranger things, stranger things 5

Stranger Things 5: Duffers Fine with Fewer Eps, Waits Between Seasons

Regarding television projects, Matt & Ross Duffer (Stranger Things 5) are fine with 8-10 episode seasons and shows not returning every year.

While much of their focus right now is on Netflix's Stranger Things 5 (kicking off in November), series creators Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer have also been making moves regarding their creative futures. Earlier this summer, we learned that the brothers had signed an exclusive, four-year deal with Paramount for films, television, and streaming projects via Upside Down Pictures. Speaking at Variety's Entertainment and Technology Summit in Los Angeles this week, Ross and Matt offered some insights into their decision to leave Netflix, updates on the projects that are already in play, and an overview of how they will be approaching film and television production.

One of particular interest was television – specifically, the number of episodes that shows have been running per season and the wait between seasons. On both fronts, we're seeing a swing back to the old-school ways of television, with season episode counts creeping back into double digits and a recommitment to getting new seasons back on screens annually. Well, it seems that won't be the case with the Duffers and how they approach their television projects (though they tend to run long episodes so it gets a little murky).

Noting that they're aiming for "eight-to-ten episode seasons," Matt Duffer added, "I get fatigued watching 20-episode seasons. We didn't grow up interested in any of that. We only watched movies. That's the weird thing that we ended up in TV, because we had almost zero interest in television." As for what kinds of television projects they're eyeing, think along the lines of "Stranger Things"-level big. With that being the case, it sounds like fans can expect an extended wait between seasons as they did with Netflix's global phenomenon. "If TV shows come out every year, it's diminishing return. I like the buildup," Matt Duffer added.

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things 5 "Eight Blockbuster Movies": Showrunners

Stranger Things 5 Will Be "Like Eight Blockbuster Movies" But Also a "Personal Story": "We spent a full year filming this season," Ross shared during Netflix's big event to roll out its 2025 slate. "By the end, we had captured over 650 hours of footage. So, needless to say, this is our biggest and most ambitious season yet. It's like eight blockbuster movies. It's pretty, pretty insane." Matt added, "At the same [time], we think it's — or hope it's — our most personal story. It was super intense and emotional to film — for us and for our actors we've been with for so long. And we've been making it together for almost 10 years now. There was a lot of crying. There was so much crying. The show means so much to all of us, and everyone put their hearts and souls into it. And we hope — and believe — that passion is going to translate to the screen."

The "Stranger Things" Universe Is Far From Ending: "There are more Stranger Things stories to tell and in the works," Matt shared, following up on what the Duffer Brothers have discussed since the final season of the franchise series was announced. "It's a bit early at this point to talk about them, but we're deeply involved in every one. It's very important to us that anything with the 'Stranger Things' name on it is of the highest quality and not repetitive, that it has a reason to exist and always blazes its own path. And also, it needs to basically just be awesome — or we need to think it's awesome. And there are a lot of what we think are awesome things in the pipeline."

We're looking at Episode 1: "The Crawl," Episode 2: "The Vanishing of …," Episode 3: "The Turnbow Trap," Episode 4: "Sorcerer," Episode 5: "Shock Jock," Episode 6: "Escape from Camazotz," Episode 7: "The Bridge," and Episode 8: "The Rightside Up." You can check out the title tease above, and a "fan edition" of a behind-the-scenes set visit below. And don't forget that Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, and the amazing Linda Hamilton have joined the cast for the fifth and final season. The first volume arrives on November 26th, followed by the second volume on December 25th and the series finale on December 31st.

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