• Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy provided an update on the production.
• He also talked about how much he enjoys being a part of the popular show.
• The final season has been hard at work since the end of Season 4.

Shawn Levy, the producer has provided an update on the status of the highly anticipated fifth and final season of Stranger Things.

In an exclusive interview with Steve Weintraub for Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, he detailed where the final season is currently at and allayed fears about how the Netflix hit series will fit into his hectic schedule.

He also talked about the show’s production and how much he enjoys being a part of one of the most popular shows on television.

Stranger Things Season 5’s writer’s room opened in August, one month after the epic Season 4 finale, and the crew has been hard at work on the finale ever since. “Oh man, it’s going great,” Levy exclaimed. “The Duffers and our writers are hard at work on the scripts, and they’re coming along incredibly well.”

There’s a lot riding on this season given it’s the final outing for the record-setting Netflix series. It has to match the insane highs that Season 4 ended on, though the Duffers have a whiteboard full of ideas.

The team anticipates that this final run will tie up any loose ends and answer any remaining questions about the Upside Down, all while finally concluding the storylines of the characters fans have grown to love since Season 1.

There will be plenty of emotional highs as fans and creators bid farewell to Hawkins, Indiana, according to Levy:

“I know that Brothers already hinted at this publicly, but when we sat there and heard the two-hour-long pitch-out for the storyline of this final season, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room by the time the brothers were done… so yeah, this last season will be both epic and very emotional. I think making it will be pretty damn emotional, too, since this show has changed the life of every one of us who have worked on it. Anyway, writing is going really well, and we can’t wait to head into production next year.”

Concerns were raised that Levy would be unable to direct his usual two episodes for Season 5 due to scheduling conflicts.

When Stranger Things resumes production next year, he’ll be busy directing Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in Deadpool 3.

Levy and Reynolds have worked together on numerous projects, including the previous Deadpool films, Free Guy, and The Adam Project, and the director is excited to work with the Merc with a Mouth again. Despite that commitment, he made certain to secure at least one episode as director when planning his schedule:

“In fact, one of the first conversations I had with Ryan Reynolds and Marvel when we started talking about Deadpool was the fact that it was inevitably going to overlap in someway and at some point with the final season of Stranger Things. And it is really important to me to direct at least one episode in the last season. Part of why I feel so close to the Duffers and our cast is that I’ve been lucky to be involved directorially, which is a unique connection and creative intimacy. Anyway, it’s very much my intention to direct at least one episode of Stranger Things 5, and everyone involved is being really supportive and collaborative in figuring out the scheduling aspects of how I can do that.”

When asked what it meant to be a part of the Netflix smash hit, Levy also wanted to express his love for the series. Stranger Things Season 4 became one of the most-watched series in Netflix history, but Levy reiterated his admiration for the Duffer Brothers’ work because it focused on making something good rather than getting lost in the series’ blockbuster nature. He explained to Weintraub:

“It means the world to me. I know enough about the entertainment industry and culture to know that having a hit show is like finding a unicorn in the woods. When I first read the Duffers’ pilot script, I knew their show was special, but none of us could predict the cultural impact it would have, the way it’s become a full-on franchise brand. It’s thrilling, but in the same breath, I want to make the point that we don’t let ourselves get distracted by the blockbuster status of the show; we focus on making great episodes, one by one, scene by scene, moment by moment. That’s what made Stranger Things a hit in the first place, and we are fiercely aware of that.”

Weintraub concluded by asking Levy about the more unexpected aspects of production. Levy was able to provide some insight into the workings of the cast and crew.

“I believe people underestimate how much fun we have while filming the show. Onscreen, the vibe can be heavy and dark, but offscreen, it’s light and fun. Which is simple because we are a family at this point, and half of this family grew up while making Stranger Things, so no one takes themselves too seriously.”

The series has been a part of the younger main cast’s lives throughout their formative years and has essentially defined their career path going forward.

After four seasons of working together, the entire crew has developed a friendly culture for everyone involved.

Levy stated that it was refreshing to work on a series that everyone involved in its creation genuinely enjoyed and that emphasized its actors’ individual strengths, adding:

“The other thing that people don’t quite get is that all of us who work on the show are fans of the show. Which means we feel lucky to be a part of creating this special thing together. And lastly, I think people would be surprised by the extent to which the Duffers channel the individuality of each actor and write to their strengths. Part of why the show feels so character-rich is that the duffers custom tailor every character, and every line of every character, to the individuality of the actor. That kind of synchronicity between performer and character — which not all writers know how to create by the way—that’s astonishing to me, and it’s a Duffer superpower and a huge part of why the show is what it is.”

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