It’s been almost three years since the last season, but Netflix announced Thursday that the beloved science-fiction drama is returning on May 27th.
The production also mentioned that the show will end with a newly announced fifth season.
"And the reason Season 4 is so jam-packed with new locations, new characters, and the biggest threat yet is because these episodes set up the show’s final act!” Netflix wrote on Twitter. “Yes, Season 5 will be the epic conclusion to this story — which is how the creators have always envisioned it."
"Volume one" will be released May 27, and "volume two" will quickly follow on July 1. According to the Duffer Brothers, who announced the new format in an open letter to fans on social media, the "unprecedented length" explains the two-part season.
"With nine scripts, over eight hundred pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shot, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, Stranger Things 4 was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one."
The creators also teased the series’ conclusion, promoting the new season with "Every ending has a beginning.
"Yet sources say that despite the show’s standing as a massive hit on the platform, Netflix executives have routinely been frustrated by the long delays between "Stranger Things" seasons, the skyrocketing cost for the series (season four is said to have been well over budget) and the demands of creators the Duffer brothers. The siblings signed a massive nine-figure overall film and TV deal with Netflix in late 2019 when the drama was formally renewed for a fourth season.
Even without formal rating data, Stranger Things is easily among Netflix’s biggest franchises. The series remains an awards contender — it has collected 31 Emmy nominations (winning six) and created what is likely a multimillion-dollar licensing business of merchandising with a line of comic books, interactive experiences, mobile games, and other revenue-generating consumer products.
Season four follows the Battle of Starcourt in season three, where Eleven and her friends save the town of Hawkins from the Mind Flayer, a destructive monster from the Upside Down. After the apparent death of Eleven’s adoptive father, Hopper, the season wraps with Eleven moving with Will Byers and his family to get a fresh start.
The season four trailer opens with a peek into Will and Eleven’s new life in California. Eleven says she thinks she has "finally adapted, " though clips of Eleven at school prove otherwise. We can assume the main plot takes place during spring break, as Eleven counts down the days until she can reunite during the break with Mike and the rest of the gang.
"We'll have the best spring break ever, " she says, underscoring ominous clips of violence and fear.