The final chapter of the hit series Stranger Things will be a major event for viewers’ schedules. Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer have confirmed that the series finale will be around two hours long, providing an epic conclusion to the story of Hawkins and its residents.
This confirmation comes as Netflix prepares to release the show’s fifth and final season in three distinct parts, with the finale dropping on New Year’s Eve. The announcement helps clear up months of speculation about the episode lengths for the much-anticipated season.
The Final Episode’s Scale
In an interview with Variety, the Duffer Brothers revealed that the final episode, titled “The Rightside Up,” will have a runtime of approximately two hours. This places it in the territory of a feature film, ensuring a substantial conclusion to the series that debuted in 2016.
The creators emphasized that this final chapter will finally answer one of the show’s biggest lingering mysteries: the true nature of the Upside Down. Ross Duffer explained that they had deliberately waited to fully explain the parallel dimension, noting, “Every season would be like, ‘Should we talk about it?’ And we’d go, ‘No, let’s wait.’ And then finally, we’re like, ‘Well, we have to now!’”
A Look at the Full Season Schedule
Netflix is breaking up the eighth and final season of Stranger Things into three volumes with staggered release dates. This strategy follows the pattern established by the previous season and aims to build anticipation throughout the holiday season.
The release schedule is as follows:
- Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4): Releases on November 26, 2025
- Volume 2 (Episodes 5-7): Releases on December 25, 2025
- Volume 3 (Series Finale, Episode 8): Releases on December 31, 2025
This means fans will get the first four episodes in November, three more on Christmas Day, and the two-hour finale on New Year’s Eve.
First Four Episode Runtimes Revealed
In mid-October 2025, Ross Duffer took to social media to share the “ACTUAL runtimes” for the first four episodes, putting an end to widespread rumors that every episode would be 90 minutes or longer.
The confirmed runtimes for Volume 1 are:
| Episode Number | Title | Runtime |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Crawl | 1 hour 8 minutes |
| 2 | The Vanishing of… | 54 minutes |
| 3 | The Turnbow Trap | 1 hour 6 minutes |
| 4 | Sorcerer | 1 hour 23 minutes |
Ross Duffer teased that the first episode is his “favorite” and the “most eventful first episode since Season 1.” He also highlighted that the second episode features what he called “by far the craziest cold open we’ve ever done.” Episode 4, “Sorcerer,” was described as “MASSIVE, as big as any finale we’ve ever done,” despite being a mid-season finale.
Ending a Television Era
The pressure to deliver a satisfying ending is immense. The Duffer Brothers are aware of the scrutiny that comes with ending a globally popular series. Matt Duffer shared that they are “really happy with the way it ended,” but acknowledged the nerves about audience reaction. He stated, “It’s nerve-racking to put it out. I’m sure people will have opinions!”
The writing team drew inspiration from several acclaimed television finales, including Six Feet Under and Friday Night Lights, as they crafted the ending. Ross Duffer commented on the challenge, saying, “The shows that are trying to be super clever — I think that’s where it can go wrong really quickly.”
The final season picks up 18 months after the destructive events of the Season 4 finale in the town of Hawkins. With the military now involved and Eleven being hunted, the group must band together for one last stand against Vecna and the forces of the Upside Down.
Production for this final season was a massive undertaking, reportedly costing between $50 and $60 million per episode. Filming began in January 2024 and wrapped in December 2024, after a year-long shoot that captured over 650 hours of footage.
Also Read: Stranger Things Launches Global Fan Events for Final Season
