PREY Director Dan Trachtenberg Jumps on Board STRANGER THINGS Season 5
Dan Trachtenberg, the director of 10 Cloverfield Lane and Prey, has joined Stranger Things Season 5 and will direct an episode. Trachtenberg is a talented filmmaker who also directed the pilot for The Boys, and Black Mirror: Playtest. He’s going to be a great addition to the directing team.
This news comes after the exciting announcement that Terminator star Linda Hamilton joined the cast. We have no idea who she’s playing, but I hope that it’s a badass character that gets to see some action! She joins a long list of ‘80s actors to join the franchise including Winona Ryder, Matthew Modine, Sean Astin, Paul Reiser, Cary Elwes and Robert Englund.
When previously describing Stranger Things 5, the writing team described the next chapter of the story “is like if Season 1 and 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids."
While we don’t know much about what the story will entail, we do know that Will is going to be the "primary focus" of Season 5, as the final episodes "circle back to Season 1." Matt Duffer previously said: "We're starting to see his coming of age, really, which has been challenging for a number of reasons; some of which are supernatural. But you're starting to see him come into his own.”
Ross Duffer added: "I think you'll see that with a couple of the character arcs, not just with Will. But also with Steve and Nancy, and her relationship with Jonathan, where things are not fully resolved. The characters have maybe made steps, like in the case of Will, but that journey isn't over yet. All of that is going to play a huge role as we try to wrap this thing up next season."
Noah Schnapp also said: "I can just tell you that I'm very very excited for what's to come. I think they did a great job with Will's character this season, and beautifully addressed everything they needed to. The way they closed the show is just perfect -- the story started with Will, and it'll end with Will."
Now, just because the Stranger Things is ending, it doesn’t mean the franchise is ending. Netflix has ordered an animated spin-off series, and the Duffers teased that "there are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things; new mysteries, new adventures, new unexpected heroes."
The show is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s, and follows a group of friends as they investigate supernatural occurrences and government conspiracies as it plunges the small midwestern town into an apocalyptic nightmare. The series has been praised for its strong cast, twisted storylines, and nostalgic references to 1980s pop culture, which Hamilton fits right into.
Stranger Things 5 will be the last time Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Max (Sadie Sink), and the rest of the Hawkins gang are all together for one last fight against the villainous Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower).
Stranger Things 5 is expected to premiere in 2024 on Netflix.