We've seen snippets of footage in previously-released teasers, but Netflix has now announced that the first full trailer for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things will be online at some point tomorrow.
We also have a new poster featuring the Hawkins gang assembling for "one last adventure," as the spectre of Vecna hangs ominously in the sky.
The first four episodes of Stranger Things season 5 are set to premiere on November 26, with the next three streaming on December 25, and the series finale on December 31. A
According to the official synopsis: “The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding."
“As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”
During a recent interview, executive producer/director Shawn Levy was asked whether the show's cast noticeably ageing is a concern.
"We’ve already watched the cast of our show grow up in the public eye, and between 12 and 22, every human being changes profoundly," he responded. "This passage of time is definitely not helping. That being said, our hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup. The ’80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters. So we’re going to use all of the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us."
Since the events of the show play out over a much shorter time period than the nine years (can you believe it?) it's been on the air, the actors have been playing younger than they actually are for a while at this stage. However, it did become more noticeable for certain characters during the most recent season.
In the season 4 finale, Eleven and her friends managed to defeat the evil entity known as Vecna, but at great cost. Eddie was killed (there's been some speculation that he might return, but we're not buying it), and Max was left blind, broken and in a coma.
Vecna - who was ultimately revealed to be the deranged Henry Creel - was vanquished, but It was only a temporary victory, as the concluding moments of the episode confirmed that dark forces in the Upside-down are amassing for what will almost certainly be a massive final battle.
Are you up to date with Stranger Things? If so, what do you hope to see from this final season?