The 10-year journey of Eleven and company may be coming to an end, but the world of Stranger Things is far from done. As fans await the finale of Stranger Things 5 (some with anticipation, and others with cautious hopefulness, after Episode 7 scored the series’ lowest rating to date), creators Ross and Matt Duffer, known collectively as the Duffer Brothers, have laid out future plans for the franchise.
Speaking to Screen Rant about a spin-off series, which the outlet notes is unconfirmed and “could potentially be in the works,” the duo shared that the universe will continue to expand on the small screen with a brand-new story, location, and characters.
“We tried as much as possible to answer all the questions as it relates to the characters and mythology of Hawkins in the Upside Down. We’re really closing the door and all that,” said Matt. “And the spinoff, it relates in some ways, but it really is a completely different story and a completely different location with completely different actors and characters. So it’s its own. It’s really its own entity.”
This standalone offshoot comes after the announcement of various projects in the pipeline, including an animated series titled Tales of ’85, which features a new voice cast for existing characters from the Netflix show, and a novel focusing on Nancy Wheeler (played by Natalia Dyer in the show), as she and Maya Hawke’s Robin Buckler investigate the strange fate of their classmate, Joey Taft, during the time between seasons 4 and 5.
Other details about the secret Stranger Things instalment remain under wraps, with the Duffer Brothers previously mentioning that Mike Wheeler actor Finn Wolfhard was the only cast member who managed to guess the idea. Until then, it’s time to bid Hawkins and the Upside Down farewell when the eighth and penultimate episode (Vol. 3) drops on New Year’s Eve.
Titled “The Rightside Up”, it will run for two hours and eight minutes, or 128 minutes, as previously revealed, and reportedly answer the show’s biggest mystery. “Every season would be like, ‘Should we talk about it?’ And we’d go, ‘No, let’s wait.’ And then finally, we’re like, ‘Well, we have to now!'” said Ross, of lifting the curtain on the truth behind the Upside Down.
The synopsis for the entire Season 5 is as follows:
“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.”
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.
