‘Stranger Things’ Season 4 Will Be Split in Two Parts, Premiere Dates Set for Both

Netflix revealed Thursday the long-awaited fourth season of “Stranger Things” will be split into two parts — and you won’t have to wait long for them to debut.

“Stranger Things 4” Volume 1 will premiere May 27, with Volume 2 to follow on July 1, creators Matt and Ross Duffer, credited as the Duffer Brothers, said in a letter to fans posted on Netflix’s blog. That letter also included the huge news that the show has been renewed for a fifth and final season.

“With nine scripts, over 800 pages, almost two years of filming, thousands of visual effects shots, and a runtime nearly twice the length of any previous season, ‘Stranger Things 4’ was the most challenging season yet, but also the most rewarding one. Everyone involved is incredibly proud of the results, and we can’t  wait to share it with you,” the Duffer Brothers wrote.

They continued: “Given the unprecedented length, and to get it to you as soon as possible, Season 4 will be released in two volumes. Volume One will release on May 27; Volume Two will release five weeks later on July 1. So that’s the good news. It’s coming soon. And it’s better than ever. It’s also the beginning of the end.”

Here’s the official description for “Stranger Things 4”: “It’s been six months since the Battle of Starcourt, which brought terror and destruction to Hawkins. Struggling with the aftermath, our group of friends are separated for the first time — and navigating the complexities of high school hasn’t made things any easier. In this most vulnerable time, a new and horrifying supernatural threat surfaces, presenting a gruesome mystery that, if solved, might finally put an end to the horrors of the Upside Down.”

Season 4 of the sci-fi series will launch after a long delay. The third season dropped on Netflix nearly three years ago on July 4, 2019. The streamer has tried to keep the show’s rabid fans sated with several teasers during its absence, and in the most recent one, released in November, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) were adjusting to their new lives in California, where they moved at the end of the third season after the (apparent) death of Chief Hopper (David Harbour).

As usual, Season 3 ended on a major cliffhanger. During a climactic standoff between the Hawkins friend group and the Russians to stop the gate to the Upside Down from being reopened, Hopper sacrificed himself, leaving Joyce (Winona Ryder) to kill the malevolent Mind Flayer and save the town of Hawkins. Eleven also seemed to lose her supernatural powers, and a post-credits scene showed the Russians interrogating an unnamed “American,” which was later revealed to be an very alive Hopper.

“Stranger Things” has been a success for Netflix both with viewers and critics. The show has been nominated for 31 Emmys, winning six in the creative arts categories.

“Stranger Things” stars Finn Wolfhard as Mike, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin, Sadie Sink as Max, Joe Keery as Steve, Natalie Dyer as Nancy, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan and Maya Hawke as Robin. Season 4 will also feature Priah Ferguson, Eduardo Franco, Jamie Campbell Bower, Joseph Quinn, Mason Dye, Robert Englund, Tom Wlaschiha, Sherman Augustus, Nikola Djuricko, Joel Stoffer, Amybeth McNulty, Myles Truitt, Regina Ting Chen and Grace Van Dien.