Gather up nerds! Stranger Things S5 is set to release soon in 2025, bringing new adventures and thrill from the land of Hawkins, Indiana. But before jumping into the Upside Down, let’s catch a breath and take a deep dive into the behind-the-scenes details from the hit Netflix show—most importantly its staggering budget.
Eleven with her group of friends in Stranger Things | image: Netflix
Entertaining fans since its inception in 2016, Stranger Things didn’t just casually land the title of Netflix’s most expensive show. After taking the phrase “spare no expense” quite literally, the sci-fi series witnessed a serious surge in budget following each season.
And by the end of Season 4, the show made headlines in gold for its jaw-dropping production cost that had exceeded the $100M mark.
How much did Netflix spend on each episode of Stranger Things?
Ever since Stranger Things hit Netflix in 2016 with its whirlwind of supernatural mystery, iconic 80s vibes, and lovable characters, the show has become an instant hit among fans. But against the backdrop of the mind flayer and the Upside Down, there awaited another surprise for those interested in behind-the-scenes anecdotes—the astronomical budget of the show.
According to reports from Variety, when Netflix took the responsibility of bringing the Duffer Brothers’ vision for Hawkins to life, it wasn’t exactly cheap for them to produce season 1. The streamer had to reportedly invest an estimated $6M per episode to produce the show that wasn’t even based on any existing IP.
Therefore, given the uncertainties surrounding the show, the price tag seemed like a hefty gamble.
However, as Millie Bobby Brown’s show became popular, Netflix’s gamble proved worth it. Meanwhile, with the show’s rise in success, the streamer also faced a simultaneous surge in the price of each episode. According to the outlet, what began with a price tag of $6M per episode for season 1 ramped up to a $8M per episode production cost during season 2.
A still from Duffer Brothers’ Netflix show | image: Netflix
Fast forward to Seasons 3, Boomplay noted that while the exact budget for the particular season remained unknown, it was estimated that the production cost stood somewhere around $8M-$10M per episode. Now, believe it or not, up until season 3, the budget for Duffer Brothers’ show seemed comprehensible. But then, the way the budget skyrocketed during season 4, fans were left baffled by the cost.
As per The Wall Street Journal, by the end of Season 4, Stranger Things’ budget had ballooned to a whopping $30M per episode. After the understandable budget for the first three seasons, the production cost for S4 not only appeared as a massive sum, but it seemed like a full-blown production extravaganza. Exceeding the $100M as well as $200M production cost, Netflix spared no expense when it came to delivering high-stakes action, and jaw-dropping special effects in Season 4.
A still from Stranger Things Season 4 | image: Netflix
Now, while the Netflix Original has already earned the title of an expensive series with its record-breaking $30M spend per episode of Season 4, it became a curious topic for fans to know the budget for the finale. Considering how the Duffer Brothers are planning on making the conclusion as outstanding as possible, it seems safe to assume that the budget for Season 5 will likely reach an all-time high (via CheatSheet).
The reasons behind the ballooning budget of Stranger Things
It seems that the Netflix assigned budget for each episode of the sci-fi thriller kept on increasing to a point where the show ended up with a whopping $270M production cost for season 4—similar to that of most blockbuster movies. This ballooning budget thus sparked the question of why the cost might have increased at such a dramatic rate.
The next reason in line seems to be the star-studded cast—Winona Ryder to David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown, whose salaries might have taken a big chunk out of the budget, resulting in production cost inflation. Considering how with each season, the actors got more famous, causing a surge in their paycheck demands—their salaries might have thus contributed to the growing budget.
Jamie Campbell Bower’s Vecna in Season 4 | image: Netflix
Further, there’s a set design and expansion of the sci-fi world which might have played another significant reason for the rise in the budget. With each passing season, as the Duffer Brothers put more effort into the world of Hawkins packed with 80s nostalgia, and bring in new characters like Vecna and his lair, it only seems obvious for them to increase the budget to meet these ideas.
With the manpower, time, and effort required to build these sets, it seems justified why the cost increased with the improvement in storytelling.
Everything we know so far about Stranger Things Season 5
Meanwhile, as Variety announced the wrap-up of Stranger Things Season 5 filming, let’s take a look at what’s waiting for us in the upcoming episodes. According to THR, after season 4 ended with Max’s (Sadie Sink) fate hanging by a thread, alongside Hawkins being under Vecna’s attack, the upcoming episodes are set to feature a showdown between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and Jamie Campbell Bower’s villain character.
Further, it has been revealed that with the OG cast of the Netflix show—Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and others—the upcoming season will also bring in new faces like Linda Hamilton, Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly, and Alex Breaux.
Overall, set to mark the end of the Netflix show, season 5 is said to end with a bang, that might later open the gates for spinoff shows.
Stranger Things Season 4 | image: Netflix
As for the release of the upcoming season, although the exact date is yet to be revealed, it has been reported that the finale will be released by the early half of 2025. After repeated delays in filming due to the Hollywood strikes and the pandemic, now that Stranger Things has finally wrapped up production, it can be expected that the show will drop soon.
