Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Will Be Delayed Because Of The Writers Strike

While many shows may have finished up their scripts in time in order to film/air even if the WGA’ writers strike is still going on, others either didn’t finish and must shut down, or they did and…their showrunners are making a point.

While HBO’s House of the Dragon is reportedly script-ready and good to go, Netflix’s crown jewel, Stranger Things, will delay season 5 due to the writers strike. The noticeable thing here is that while the initial scripts seem to be finished, the Duffer brothers have decided to shut down production, noting that writing doesn’t necessarily end just because you start filming.

“Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. 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”

What they’re saying here is actually one of the key points within the conditions for the strike. One of the things that’s changed in the streaming era is that while writers used to work on shows for long periods of time, including being on set during filming for rewrites and such, that usually doesn’t happen anymore. Writers turn in a script after ten weeks of writing and the show goes off to shoot without them. It’s one of the sea changes with the industry that cuts writers out of the process, and the Duffer brothers appear to be “old school” in recognizing that it takes more than just a “final draft” script to film, as changes may need to be made along the way. And that requires…writers. Writers who are now currently on strike.

Stranger Things fans are no stranger to long breaks in between seasons, at least, so a delay wouldn’t really be all that unusual. It was almost three years between seasons 3 and 4 of the show, given COVID shutdowns and a lengthy production time. Season 5 never got a date, but the easy guess is somewhere mid 2024, which would be two years after season 4. But if the writers strike delays things further, perhaps the end of 2024, if not later.

The longer this strike goes on the more Hollywood and these streaming services will feel it. Right now, many of them feel confident they have a “backlog” of content to fill space for a while, but that will end, and while it may not feel like much now, a drought is very much coming. And like many shows, Stranger Things will not be there to fill it for a long while.

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