It’s been more than three years since we watched our favorite Hawkins residents fight the Upside Down, but the countdown to Stranger Things’ grand finale is officially on. The fifth and final season is going to be spread out over three separate release dates: November 26, December 25, and December 31. There are only eight episodes, and each one is reportedly between 90 and 120 minutes. Well, it appears that neither Netflix nor the Stranger Things production team spared any expense on what I hope is an epic final season. According to Puck, the budget for each episode was $50-$60 million, putting the full season’s price tag to somewhere between $400 and $480 million. This makes the final season more expensive to make than most blockbuster films, including the Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and Avatar movies.
The budget for Stranger Things season 5 has reportedly been revealed. The fifth and final season of Netflix’s sci-fi ratings juggernaut is set to drop its first volume on the streaming platform on November 26, and will see the group prepare for one final battle against Vecna, and the evil forces that have plagued Hawkins.
Stranger Things has been acclaimed as one of the greatest television series of all time, scooping multiple accolades during its run, and the climactic season is set to be even more epic than before. However, despite Stranger Things season 5 having a reduced episode count of eight episodes, down from nine in the previous season, it’s not going to save Netflix any money.
According to Puck, the streamer spent $50 to $60 million per episode for the show’s final season, putting its total price tag in the range of $400 to $480 million. This is up from season 4’s reported budget of $30 million per episode.
The staggering figure illustrates the epic form that television has evolved into in recent times. The cost per episode is not quite enough to meet the likes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (a total $1 billion investment from Amazon) or the upcoming Harry Potter TV show (said to be on a similar scale as Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon’s hefty price tags), it still makes it one of the most expensive seasons in TV history.
The full season cost of around $400 to $480 million is a total that eclipses the vast majority of movies being made. Jurassic World Dominion officially holds the budget for the most expensive movie ever made, with $465 million net, and even the Stranger Things episode budgets are more than some mid-budget movies.
The delay in release of Stranger Things season 5, as well as the reduced episode count, probably has a lot to do with the astronomical scale of the final episodes, but, from a narrative viewpoint, this is exciting news, and it promises a suitably epic and jaw-dropping final season, with what could be some of the most impressive set pieces ever committed to television.
$50-60 million per episode is an absolutely insane budget. I mean, what even is money at that point? Sure, they’re producing eight movie-length episodes, but it just feels excessive. On that note, who asked for such long episodes? Money and length will mean nothing if the script and storyline isn’t good. I’m just sayin’, this season better be a freaking spectacle to end all spectacles. It’s just absolutely wild. Hopefully, they’re putting some of that money into Noah Schnapp’s (Will) hair budget because that’s always been a weak link for me. All of the kids have bad wigs, it’s not fair to single out Noah/Will. I bet most of the money went into special effects, digitally making their now 20-something cast look like high school kids, and licensing music. You know everyone they approached wanted their own Kate Bush moment. I guess now we know why Netflix keeps raising subscription prices by so much.
Photos courtesy of Netflix and credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon