Stranger Things announces season 4 release date and confirms "last" season 5

The slightly-less good news: the nine-episode season 4 will be split into two halves, with the second load of episodes released on Netflix five weeks later on 1st July.

The potentially upsetting news? The Duffers also revealed that after the split season 4, season 5 will be the final instalment in the Stranger Things story, concluding the series for good.

“Given the unprecedented length, and to get it to you as soon as possible, Season 4 will be released in two volumes,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement. “Volume One will release on May 27th; Volume Two will released five weeks later on July 1st.

“It’s coming soon. And it’s bigger than ever,” they added. “It’s also the beginning of the end.

“Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons. It proved too large to tell in four, but – as you’ll soon see for yourselves – we are now hurtling toward our finale. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; season 5 will be the last.”

The news is bound to give fans some mixed feelings, with plenty excited that the series – which follows a group of children and adults in 1980s Indiana who get caught up in extradimensional monster attacks – will be back after a fairly long absence, while others are more upset that the end is in sight.

Still, before that end fans still have plenty to dig into in the longest-ever season. Will Hopper escape from the Russian prison? What’s up with the creepy house? And why is there another Demogorgon out in the world?

Meanwhile, the official synopsis suggests yet another monster might be troubling our heroes as they recover from the events of 2019’s Stranger Things 3…

It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time – and navigating the complexities of high school hasn't made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.

The series stars David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, Maya Hawke and Joe Keery among a larger ensemble cast, with new characters (aka "unexpected heroes") also teased for the new season.

“There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes,” the Duffers’ open letter continues.

“But first we hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down.”

As if we’d go anywhere else.

Read more:

• Stranger Things season 4 trailer is explosive and reveals new plot details
• Maya Hawke shoots down Stranger Things season 4 cast rumour
• Stranger Things season 4 is "going to freak people out a lot", warns Finn Wolfhard

Stranger Things 4 Volume 1 comes to Netflix on the 27th May. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.

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