10 years is a long time to wrap a series, and it seems anticipation for the finale of Stranger Things, otherwise known as Stranger Things 5 Vol. 3, looks set to hit a fever pitch. In the lead-up to its release on New Year’s Eve, co-creator Ross Duffer has shared that 1.1 million fans have RSVP’d to watch the penultimate episode in theatres, with 3,500 showtimes across more than 620 outlets in North America all sold out.
In a post on Instagram, the filmmaker also teased an appearance from himself and his brother-slash-co-creator Matt Duffer, for a session or two. “What a way to close out a ten-year journey—together,” he wrote. “Maybe we’ll see some of you in LA 🙌.”
With Episode 7 scoring the series’ lowest rating to date, all eyes are on the Duffer Brothers to see if the ending will deliver as promised. The grand finale, which clocks in at 128 minutes (or two hours and eight minutes), is expected to answer the show’s biggest mystery, coming on the heels of the three-episode Volume 2 that debuted on Christmas Day. Volume 1 premiered with four episodes on Thanksgiving Day, 27 November.
The Netflix hit caught the world by storm back in 2016, and its momentum has hardly slowed down in the years since. As Variety reports, the series recently surpassed 1.2 billion views, with Season 4 standing as the streamer’s second most popular English-language TV title of all time, and this fifth outing netting its biggest opening week ever for an English-language TV series.
Stranger Things 5 Vol. 3 returns to both the big and small screen on 31 December, but it won’t be the last fans see of the sci-fi world. In addition to an animated series titled Tales of ’85, featuring a new voice cast for existing characters from the show, and a novel focusing on Natalie Dyer’s Nancy Wheeler, a secret spin-off will also reportedly introduce a completely different story, setting, and cast of characters.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
