The fate of Hawkins hangs in the balance – and so does the release date for Stranger Things‘ final season. Despite wrapping production in December after an intensive year of filming, creators Matt and Ross Duffer have revealed that delivering the series’ conclusion in 2025 might be more challenging than anticipated. In a conversation with Variety, the showrunners discussed both their bittersweet farewell to the original story and the monumental post-production task that lies ahead, all while hinting at potential timeline concerns that could affect the highly anticipated release window.

“A lot of it hasn’t been decided, in terms of exactly the release dates and cadence,” Matt Duffer said, adding, “That’s one reason I’m not allowed to talk about it. We’re getting on a call in about a couple weeks about it. I just know it was very important for us and Netflix that we get it out this year. But even that is quite the push.”

This admission has sparked concerns about potential delays, with Forbes noting that if the show misses its 2025 target, the gap between seasons could stretch to nearly four years – an unusually long wait even by modern streaming standards. The scale of the production helps explain the extensive post-production timeline. The final season amassed “over 650 hours of footage” during its year-long shoot, with the Duffer Brothers describing it as equivalent to “eight blockbuster movies” in a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly. Currently, the team is focused on preparing visual effects sequences, a process Matt indicates will consume “a huge chunk of their year.”

[RELATED – Stranger Things Fans Are Predicting Season 5 Character Deaths]

However, fans can take comfort in knowing that while the original story may be ending, the Stranger Things universe will continue to expand. Multiple spin-off series are in development, though the Duffer Brothers emphasize quality over quantity when it comes to the universe around Stranger Things.

“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,” Matt told the outlet.

As for the flagship series, for now, the creators are “working as fast as we possibly can,” conscious that it’s been nearly three years since Season 4’s release. Ross acknowledges the time pressure, referencing their previous season’s tight deadline.

“Even Season 4, we cut that so tight,” he said. “We were dropping in visual effects shots the day after the launch! So hopefully we’ll be a little more on schedule this year.”

If the series does manage to hit its 2025 release window, it would still mark a three-and-a-half-year gap between seasons. That length of time is not insignificant, but even with the wait the series’ final chapter is one of television’s most anticipated returns.

Stranger Things is currently expected to return for its final season sometime in 2025 on Netflix. Keep checking with ComicBook for more updates.

The post Stranger Things Creators Address Hope for Season 5 Release Date (Will It Be Delayed?) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

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