New York, Oct 17 (UNI) The cast and creators of Netflix’s Stranger Things reportedly approached the show’s highly anticipated final season with some apprehension, concerned it might face the same fan backlash that famously marred HBO’s Game of Thrones finale.
In a recent interview with Time magazine, star Finn Wolfhard revealed, “Everyone was pretty worried, honestly. The way that Game of Thrones got torn to shreds in that final season, we’re all walking into this going, ‘We hope to not have that kind of thing happen.’ But then we read the scripts. We knew that it was something special.”
Much like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things significantly increased the scale and budget of its final episodes. Season four became one of the most expensive TV seasons ever, reportedly costing USD 30 million per episode, while the upcoming fifth season is said to be even more lavish, with estimates of USD 50 to USD 60 million per episode.
Co-creator Ross Duffer admitted that the team was nervous ahead of season four’s release. “It was such a relief when it got the viewership it did because you don’t want to scale down for your final season… or an abbreviated final season… these were all possible realities.”
Meanwhile, co-creator Matt Duffer expressed surprise that Netflix has not yet pushed for a direct sequel. “I’m kind of surprised there hasn’t been more pressure,” he said. “They would love us to go in and pitch it, but they haven’t forced us to do it.”
Netflix chief Bela Bajaria added, “When they’re ready, I’m ready,” suggesting any sequel plans would likely be kept under wraps until after the final episode airs.
Netflix will employ a unique release strategy for the final season, rolling out four episodes the day before Thanksgiving, three more on Christmas, and concluding with a movie-length finale on New Year’s Eve.
