Season five of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things took 237 days to film, utilizing 6,725 set-ups to create 630 hours of footage ultimately edited down to roughly 10 hours of content, according to details revealed in a new behind-the-scenes documentary.
Fans still reeling from the show’s conclusion earlier this month briefly ignited a theory—dubbed “Conformity Gate”—that a secret extra episode was being held back. While that hasn’t materialized, the two-hour documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, offers a glimpse into the complex production process and creative decisions behind the final season.
A Look Behind the Curtain
Table of Contents
- The documentary explores the challenges of wrapping up a decade-long series.
- It reveals the Duffer Brothers were still refining the script while filming was underway.
- Viewers gain access to the writers’ room and see the evolution of character arcs.
- The sheer scale of production—hundreds of crew members and elaborate sets—is highlighted.
Documentarian Martina Radwan described the “Conformity Gate” theory as “a little bizarre,” questioning why a hidden episode would be withheld from fans. However, she acknowledged the difficulty many are experiencing saying goodbye to the show after ten years.
“I hope the two-hour documentary can offer some closure, while also providing a unique insight into the writer’s room and production process,” Radwan said.
NetflixWriting on the Fly
A surprising revelation within the documentary is that the Duffer Brothers, creators of the 1980s-inspired series, were still actively writing the final episode’s script as filming commenced. This sparked some initial shock among fans.
Radwan explained that this is standard practice in television and film, particularly on a project of this magnitude. “You can’t write everything ahead of time,” she noted. She emphasized the value of having access to the writers’ room, stating, “It’s very easy to think when you write a script, you literally just sit there and write…and it’s like: ‘No, it’s really thinking about a gazillion things, how you interweave all these stories.’”
With a large ensemble cast and 19 character developments to navigate, Radwan described completing the series as “quite a feat and an accomplishment.”
NetflixWhat Else Does the Documentary Reveal?
Viewers will witness debates among the writers, including discussions about the inclusion of creatures in the final battle against Vecna and the Mind Flayer, and the ultimate fate of Eleven, portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown. The documentary also showcases the cast’s growth over the years, featuring audition tapes and scenes from the show’s first season, which premiered in 2016.
“It was important to really show the longevity and also how everybody developed individually, but also with each other as a group,” Radwan said.
The documentary also highlights the immense scale of the production, showcasing the work of hundreds of creatives, cast, and crew members in creating the worlds of Hawkins, the Upside Down, and the Abyss.
“That pressure on a show that is so beloved and so big is immense,” Radwan added. “I don’t know how the Duffers are doing it, to be honest. I love that everybody’s like: ‘We don’t know how to do this, this is impossible’, and then they turn around and they do it.”
NetflixIn a closing speech, Ross Duffer revealed that season five required 237 days of filming, 6,725 set-ups, and generated 630 hours of footage, which was then condensed into approximately 10 hours of content.
Radwan explained her intention with the documentary was to illustrate how a project of this scale is made, because “it does all these things that nobody thought a TV show can do.” The Duffer Brothers shared that watching behind-the-scenes documentaries of films like The Lord of the Rings inspired them during their childhood, and snippets of their early homemade films are included, along with an interview with their former drama teacher, who makes a cameo appearance in season five.
“They didn’t become successful overnight, this is 40 years in the making process,” Radwan said. “They started making feature-length movies at the age of eight. So, to me, the core of it is that they really represent everything that I love about film-making. And also, they’re true to their art, they’re true to their vision, which I really admire as a director myself.”
– One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 is available on Netflix.
