‘Stranger Things‘ Final Season Navigates Cast Aging,โฃ Duffer Brothers Eye โPost-Series Projects
the Duffer Brothersโ are confronting the practical challenges of concluding “Strangerโค Things” as their young cast continues โขto age, while simultaneously looking ahead to new creative endeavors after โnearly a decade dedicated to the Netflix hit. The show’s fifth and โfinal season is currently in post-production, โคrequiring โaudio โadjustments for actor Jake Connelly โคdue to voice โchanges since filming began.
The logistical hurdle highlights the unique situation facing the series, which launched in 2016 with a โgroup of pre-teen actors now entering their twenties. Matt Duffer explained they are utilizing EQ โคtechnology to address Connelly’s voice drop, stating, “We were recording with actor Jake [Connelly], โwho playsโฃ a new character this year, โand his voice has โalready dropped quite a โขbit as we shot him. Luckily, there’s EQ technology. We actually were just listening today. It’s fine. We got worried for a second, but it’s โฃOK.” This situation underscores the โtime elapsed duringโ the show’s production and the inevitable physical changes of it’s performers.
The brothers, who typically work inโค extremely โฃclose proximity-often within five feet of eachโข other-also โฃrevealed the impact of rare separations. Matt Duffer admitted to experiencing “quite aโค bit of panic” when Ross is unavailableโ due toโข family or medical emergencies. Their longest break to date was three weeks following season 4, and they anticipate a slightly longer, โฃ3.5-weekโฃ break after season 5 concludes, though Matt Duffer doesn’t consider it โคa substantial vacation due to family commitments. โฃ
Looking beyond “Stranger Things,” Ross Duffer expressed aโ desire to quicklyโ return to creative work, stating, “I start to โgo a little crazy if I’mโฃ not doing something creative.” The pair acknowledged they haven’t developed a new project in almost ten years and โareโ “excited” to explore newโข opportunities. Matt Duffer emphasized the need for a recovery period after the final season’s release, โขadvising against immediateโ vacations due toโ the overwhelming online reaction, and noting they’ve had “less than three months’ [vacation] in 10 years.”
