“Stranger Things” showrunners and brothers Matt and Ross Duffer announced Saturday that production on the fifth and final season of the Netflix series has been delayed by the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike. The Writers Guild of America is demanding better pay, residuals for streaming content and higher contributions to the union’s health and pension plan for its members.
“Writing does not stop when filming begins,” the Duffers posted on the “Stranger Things” writers’ room Twitter account.
“While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then — over and out. #wgastrong.”
“Stranger Things” is among several small- and big-screen projects that have been affected by the strike. Marvel Studios’ “Blade,” Apple TV’s “Loot,” NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” CBS’ “The Talk” and various late-night talk shows have also been impacted, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Other shows are working around the stoppage. Both Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and HBO’s “House of the Dragon” have continued filming in the United Kingdom after stockpiling scripts ahead of the strike, according to Deadline. However, many have raised questions about how such productions will handle rewrites and other adjustments to the story without writers present on set.
In February 2022, the Duffer brothers confirmed that the upcoming fifth season of “Stranger Things” would be its last. The Emmy winning sci-fi series stars Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink and Millie Bobby Brown as a ragtag bunch of kids battling evil forces in their spooky small town during the 1980s.
“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,” the Duffer brothers said at the time.
“As always, we are grateful for your patience and support.”
