#st5 hiatus

[lucascsinclairs]

personally I don't think there's the chance for a fall season starting production in May tbh. I mean, even ST3 took April to November to film so even if they don't take longer than that (which I find likely) they'd finish filming in December 2023. I don't think they can finish post production in less than a year tbh, so I'm not sure fall 2024 would work, much less summer 2024. I mean, it's not impossible but they had a year of post production with ST4 and still couldn't finish a lot of things in time so idk. I'm betting like either really late 2024 (think winter) or early 2025. regardless I'm with you with wanting them to take their time and make it the best season they can!

You make some good points! They have been taking longer and longer with the post-production with each season, which makes sense considering that each season has been bigger than the one before. The production timeline for season 4 was not straightforward at all, but if I don't remember totally wrong, they were still filming in fall of 2021, finishing before Stranger Things Day of that year. So that would give around 9-11 months of post-production after all filming's wrapped. I could see that being what they'll do this time too, or like you said, even go a little longer since they seemed to be hurrying to finish up the season by the deadline. But then again, filming itself probably won't take as long, since the season seems to mostly take place in Hawkins, so they won't have to worry about filming in multiple locations like last time.

Right now my personal theories are them doing another Halloween release (for that full-circle vibe they've said they're going for), around New Years 2024-2025, or early 2025. I mean, if they're fully committing to the full-circle thing, they could also release it on November 6th or something? All of those would be fine with me, I really don't mind waiting since it's the last season. And exactly, we want them to take their time to deliver the best possible season and ending to the show!

[chirpsythismorning]

We never really left

[strangertheories]

Honestly, byler to me has become a stressful 'thing' now i cannot even enjoy it due to the whole discourse and drama surrounding it lol. Also it feels like the shipping culture kinda died because people just stopped shipping things for fun but it became a match where you have to prove your ship's 'validity' 'morality' or how it actually exists in canon and it should exist in canon (for this and that reason), and you have to constantly prove yourself that you are a master analysist and you Get The Narrative and that's why you ship this ship and if it doesnt become canon then it means the writing is dumb/poor and im like..? You dont really have to do all that and i get that sometimes feeling so passionately about shipping is natural part of fandom and i have been there and done that too, but this whole narrative and mindset surronding it is just really tiring. if a ship makes you this stressed and traumatized and if it happens you say stuff like 'imma kms' maybe just kinda take a step back idk. I ship ron/nce and i adore their dynamic, but i am well aware that it is not going to happen even if i see a certain level of dynamic between nancy and robin. and i get that it is different for will since will is canonically into mike now but the overall point still stands. you can still like a ship even if it doesnt become canon you dont have to try so hard to prove its existence or validity since the shipping is usually supposed to be... fun.

Anon, I'm convinced I somehow sent this to myself because I'm exactly the same. I get being critical of the show's queer rep and plot if Byler isn't canon or being disappointed which we saw a lot of post volume 2, but yeah. Being a Byler shipper has become not fun™ and it's become a requirement that you think it's going to be endgame in order for you to ship it. And I also think the sense of superiority a lot of Byler shippers have about being great critical thinkers or having media literacy can make it feel scary to ever question anything anyone ever says, although most people were actually quite supportive when I spoke about this. All of that to say, letting go of Byler endgame before S4 has been great for me; I love analysing and theorising about Byler without the pressure of needing it to be canon.

And I know people will read this as "you shouldn't be bothered by the show using Will" but what I and I believe the anon is trying to say is that fandom should be built off of fun and wanting your ship to have content because you enjoy it, not because you're terrified it's not gonna be canon. Easier said than done, but I think you need to take care of yourself and your mental health too. I'm not famous or anything but I have quite a few followers now and I'm not going to lie or guarantee 100000% that it will be canon because I just do not know and I genuinely think people's mental health will be damaged because they've been hyping up an expectation of ST5 for years.

If shipping Byler has become too stressful for you, try take a break for a bit (I've been posting less over the last few months partially because of this too). Especially since we all have hiatus brain where expectations and theories become more and more wild because we have to keep digging deeper into the same content. I'm so scared that S5 will come out and it doesn't happen because I like a lot of people in this fan community and if Byler isn't canon, we'll get angry posts for a couple of months and maybe some theories about interference or deleted scenes (this happen post S4 a bit as well) but then it's gone ): the community revolves more about being 100% sure Byler will happen instead of enjoying the pairing of Mike and Will so without canon Byler, I don't know what will remain.

Thanks for the ask, anon. Also Ronance forever! <3

[ghosttownwherenoonegoes]

Hi Eri, this is Kiki from @munsons-maiden 🥰 I'm writing from my Wednesday blog because I've gone on (temporary!) hiatus on my Eddie blog due to the amount of rude and condescending messages I kept getting there. It's only temporary until we get new actual hints or leaks for ST5 but until then I'm solely on the blog for the other love of my life 🖤 Just thought I'd reach out and let you know because I forgot to tag my mutuals in the hiatus announcement 😂 Sending you a big hug and feel free to slide into my DMs to chat, I've missed you 🥰🖤

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMFOMFOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG KIKIIIIIIII KIKI KIKI KIKIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 IT'S BEEN SO LOOOOOOONG OHMYGOODNESS I'M SHOUTING BECAUSE I'M EXCITED HHHH HIIIIIII🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been forced to go on hiatus due to ride messages; people are unbelievable. Your blogging is one of my highlights and I absolutely ADORE talking with you, seeing your posts and our casual interactions. Take your time going back, Eddie will always be there right where you last saw him🥺🙏

Thank you so so much for letting me know, I've genuinely really missed you too!!!!💕 I am definitely sliding into your DMs!!!!💕 Sending you a big hug too🥺🙏💓

[aloneinthehellfire]

AloneInTheHellfire's Masterlist

About Me

fic recs

currently written for: steve harrington, eddie munson, robin buckley, billy hargrove

Stranger Things

MAIN SERIES

Raining Hellfire 4 Seasons, Extras [on hiatus until ST5]

[an episode by episode story incorporating fem!reader]

pairings: eddie x reader, eventual steve x reader

Since moving to Hawkins just two years ago, you found that nothing ever really happened in this town. That was until the day you felt your life change. From meeting a boy to Will Byers’ disappearance, you could just feel that 1983 was going to be different.

The question is, was it changing for better… or for worse?

Fortress Of Memories 14 parts [completed]

pairing: eddie x reader | multiple povs

Y/n Byers and Eddie Munson were killed in the battle. Vecna had claimed their lives and murdered them right in front of their friends’ eyes. They died heroes, saving the town that hated them both. And now, months later, the first New Year since Hawkins’ destruction had come around. But no one celebrates. Instead, they are entering hell to finally stop Vecna. They were prepared for everything. Or… so they thought…

STEVE HARRINGTON

SERIES

Gates Of Hell 19 chapters [ongoing]

Hawkins swarmed with monsters, quarantined from the rest of the world, few survivors. Steve Harrington and Y/n Hopper are forced to survive together, knowing that despite their hatred, they need each other to make it out of Hawkins alive.

Eight Months 5 chapters [completed]

Y/n went missing at the end of spring. A note was left explaining that after her father, Bob Newby, died, she just couldn’t bear to stay in Hawkins. The others were shocked but after gaining no leads on where she could be, they had to accept that she was gone. But when summer rolls in and Hawkins starts getting scary, Steve and Dustin find themselves venturing into a Russian base and uncover more secrets than they bargained for.

ONE SHOTS

Snippet: When Blue Meets Yellow 807 words

Here’s a sneak peek of a ST3 story I am currently working on. I really wanted to write a Steve x Reader story so let me know if it’s something you’d want :) And I promise the story is much more interesting than just two idiots in love

Missing 2.8k words

Straight after the Battle Of Starcourt, panic was in the air. The mall was going up in flames, another Hawkins cover-up, as the kids reunited with their families. Everyone was on-edge, especially since they barely escaped with their lives. Their minds were running a hundred miles per hour as they couldn’t focus on one thought. But not Steve. All he could think was that in all the chaos, you were no where to be found.

Senior Prom 2.4k words

20th April 1985 was the scariest night of Steve Harrington’s life. He may have battled with demodogs and abusive step-brothers, but the Senior Prom would really put his nerves to the test; he was about to confess his feelings to a girl he had taken for granted for too long.

EDDIE MUNSON

SERIES

It's You and Me, Always 10 chapters [completed]

You and Eddie have been best friends since elementary school and you both assumed that friendship was all you were destined for. However, when you both experience Chrissy’s supernatural death, you are pulled into the secrets beneath Hawkins and find that your feelings for eachother aren’t what they seem.

ONE SHOTS

The Crawl 3.5k words

Hawkins had fallen from Vecna’s curse, taking friends and family with it. They claimed it to be an earthquake but you knew better; you had seen it all unfold in the Upside Down itself. You had watched the boy you loved die in your arms, leaving him where he lay in the chaos of an escape. The guilt tore at you for days. He was gone. At least, that what’s you thought…

Freak's Best Friend 3.4k words

Eddie Munson was being hunted. After Chrissy Cunningham’s death at his trailer, the town had named him a murderer. He didn’t do it, of course. There were supernatural forces at bay that no one but a small group of people knew about. But that didn’t stop Jason Carver and his basketball teammates from taking matters into their own hands. Eddie stayed hidden, much to the party’s request, until Jason found the ultimate leverage to use against the ‘freak’; you.

REQUESTS

Perfect Is A Feeling (eddie x chrissy fic) 1.3k words

Years after the battle of Hawkins, Chrissy and Eddie were lucky to have survived. They celebrated with a date… and then another and another until it felt like a lifetime had passed. Now, they’re married, living in a house of their own with a 3 year old daughter. Chrissy never imagined she could be this lucky.

In Love And Grief 5k words

El Hopper was unsure to her older sister’s behaviour. After the fall of Hawkins, you had been avoiding everyone, and they knew it was because of Eddie. His death had shaken your core. But El never truly understood until she caught a glimpse of how powerful grief really is.

ROBIN BUCKLEY

SERIES

The Pariahs That Saved The World 7 Chapters [ongoing]

When Vecna comes to town, Robin and her friends need all the help they can get in the final battle. The gang searches for an old friend she's never met before. But what Robin didn't know, was that the help would catch her attention in more ways than one.

BILLY HARGROVE

REQUESTS

I Wanna Be Yours 2.2k words

Billy Hargrove has been dating Y/n Wheeler for a few glorious months. Considering their friends, they decided to keep it a secret. His friends didn’t like her. Her friends didn’t like him. And neither of them were upset about that deal as long as they were together. But when things start to test this theory, Billy has other plans…

Greatest Fear 2.3k words

After his fight at the Byers household, Billy Hargrove has only one place to go; to your trailer.

[chronicowboy]

my cursed st5 predictions:

the season starts with max's funeral

there's a single throwaway line about her dying some time during the theorised time skip, but no real information

b*lly comes back in some form for absolutely no reason

steve makes at least one self-deprecating comment about being an idiot per episode

will and mike don't speak unless its completely necessary

dustin comforts lucas after max dies and they end up getting together <3 luctin truthers for the win

nancy breaks up with jonathon in front of everybody like ten minutes before they have some sort of big showdown

eddie comes back in the final episode as vecna's servant, he's there for a minute max and is immediately killed again

erica kills someone, its never made clear whether or not its an accident

karen divorces ted which kickstarts the reveal of ted being an undercover sleeper agent storyline for the spin-off

hopper dies for real this time in a spiderman infinity war like scene

robin and vickie get together AND breakup within the hiatus but vickie comes to win robin back and dies

steve does a 360 and changes his mind about nancy to tell robin he still loves her and then is almost fatally wounded

holly has powers but she doesn't contribute anything to the plot she just starts messing with her parents and nobody finds out about the powers until its too late

there's some kind of cheap unexplained hawkins-wide mind wipe at the end of the finale

[munsons-maiden]

P sure joe has at least one new project called hoard it comes out in 2023 and it’s based in 80s/90s . BUT. A lot of actors work multiple projects at once. I think I’ve heard it wrapped up filming last month tho? WHO KNOWS TOO MANY THEORIES NOT ENOUGH THERAPY

Okay I tried to find the link another nonnie sent a few days ago for that tiktok about Joe not being absolutely booked out for new projects in the next two years but I remember two things the guy in the video said, and I agree with both: 1. Joseph is the season's #1 breakout star. He wouldn't be able to save himself from the flood of roles and yet, there's nothing new planned with him (filming-wise) + 2. his agent doesn't take any calls requesting him for new roles atm.

Add 3. he needed a work visa for the US (for what, if there's nothing planned?). If Hoard wrapped filming already (I googled it, apparently it did, like you said) and writing for ST5 will only start in August meaning there will be about half a year of hiatus for the actors in ST5 before they get their scripts and start preparing - there wouldn't be time for Joe to do any more projects before filming for ST5 would start. And blocking him would make sense for now because they don't have their filming schedule without a script yet so they'd have to block him until it's all written and sorted so he could combine working on ST5 and other projects.

That sounds like a chokehold Netflix has him in (a good one, of course; we know Joe wants Eddie to return as much as we do so it's a very wanted chokehold). If anyone finds the link to the tiktok, please feel free to add it here!

That's a whole collection of dots and I only see one way to connect them 👀

On a sidenote: I'm being extra critical on myself thinking about theories because I know I'm terribly biased and want Eddie back more than anything else, so I'm collecting every point against these theories as well and...the "it is sketchy and this would only make sense if he returned" points are still outweighing the counterarguments. By far👀

[chirpsythismorning]

I think people are just coping or trying to cope. Realistically it is very unlikely that we could get the season that fast. They have not even started filming yet. Almost all actors have other projects. They could get some actors earlier but it is expected that the scheduling will create problems, even if the actors have ST as their priority on their sheat... it is not really realistic to just get all actors on set. And the filming will last probably about 7-8 months (at best) and then there will be editing CGI stuff... which could take 10 months or so... yeah. So, do the math, and i did not even mention the potential writers strike thing. I do not think they'd want to rush things anyways, this is the last season, they'd want it to make sense and with a solid editing+CGI. That takes kinda... 10 months or so, and the promo has to also happen. Realistically we'll get the season in 2025. Early 2025 if we are lucky.

I agree! And I completely get where they're coming from.

I struggle with deciding if I should be honest about what I think realistically. Is it something that's disappointing and so people are just going to reject it, even despite the evidence bc it's not what they want? And if that's the case, what even is the point bc I obviously don't want to upset people or stress them out.

All I'm trying to do is think logically, so that way we can be prepared instead of disappointed over and over and over again. And tbh, telling ourselves the best possible case scenario is the most likely case scenario, is just setting ourselves up for even harsher disappointment.

I know 1 year and 10ish months seems like a lifetime from now, but it really isn't. We're going to be much more sad once it's over and we won't ever be able to see these characters again. The Duffers don't want to ruin the magic of Stranger Things, meaning there will be no reboots with these actors ever again in official canon. At best, we could get something animated, and that's at best. If anyone joins a literal live-action spin-off/reboot, it's unlikely to be someone from the MAIN main cast, as they'll have plenty of work opportunities after it's over. They also vouch for the ending of s5 being perfect. Which is why I think they wouldn't want to risk its eternal quality being ruined solely for a cash grab with a reboot set in the 2000's of them being re-traumatized all over again, essentially taking away all meaning and depth to s5's ending. It's just not happening (good thing we have fan-fiction).. ,

So again, once it premieres and it's over, there will be no more theorizing or getting excited for canon content beyond harmless fodder. I try to think about it that way when I get sad about waiting and it does honestly make me feel a little bit better. Bc surprises are arguably the best part of this experience. And so once there are no more left to be had, what even is there!!?

Although on that same note, once it's over, with the revelations all out in the open, they'll all finally be able to talk about things they couldn't during the shows run. So it will still be fun for fans that want to stick around for a while post-s5, but that also won't last forever. People will move on. Every phase of this experience is something we will look back on and wish we appreciated more, including hiatus right now. We will miss these times, when so much was still unknown and there was so much to hope and look forward to. The unknown is one of the best parts.

I do understand wanting to get closure sooner than later too though, bc waiting can sometimes feel like wasted time almost?

I will say that personally this is a good wake up call for me bc I do want to step back a little bit and focus on crafting major posts instead of like daily shit posts. I have so many in my drafts waiting for ?hrs of editing to be posted. Sometimes I find time for them, but then I get distracted and just end up making a random shit post instead. And so maybe it would be good to try to shift my focus to something more casual so that I can enjoy this experience more long-term instead of it feeling like an obligation more or less.

Not saying I'll be gone for months at a time. Quite frankly, if there's news to be reported, I want to be of the first to know, so I couldn't really leave permanently even if I wanted to... the FOMO would eat me alive.

[chirpsythismorning]

Hey ! How are you ? I just saw a Video on Instagram and I wondered if what they say is true ?

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvWDN3iMEQs/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I really hope it’s not true … ( and I hope that the link works lol )

This is 100% false so don’t worry about it!

I do sort of pity these influencer/podcast types, who give their audience the impression they are valuable sources for information, when it’s clear they’re just using speculation from fans, as opposed to actual verified sources. Them throwing out stuff like this should make people question consuming their content at all honestly. Because the whole 2027 date was thrown out on Twitter by a fan account that was merely exaggerating to get people talking, and has literally not come from anywhere else. Literally nowhere. Predictably the exaggeration spread to people who don’t know much about what’s going on and they treated it like verified information.

I do know that sometimes depending on the subject, it can be difficult to navigate information and know what is true and what isn’t.

But to say Stranger Things 5 isn’t going to start filming until 2027, is so ill-informed it’s hilarious. A claim like this implies the strike won’t end for another two years, which literally nobody is anticipating it to last that long, let alone even a year.

When it comes to Stranger Things specifically, the writer’s strike started in May, right before filming for ST5 was set to begin officially in June. And even despite the strike(s), for the last 3 months, set designers and the like have been working on preparing for filming with pre-production duties. So they have literally been ready to film for roughly two months now and are just using this time on hiatus to their advantage if anything, since they don’t have to worry about rushing bc filming is happening simultaneously like they usually do.

This means that whenever the strike ends officially, like for real, production for Stranger Things 5 is very likely going to be ready to start soon after that. Not the day of or even days after, but likely within weeks at most.

What it will really come down to is working out availability for the cast members since they have to organize a new schedule that aligns with the timetable they’re dealing with post strike, in contrast to what the original plan was.

The original timetable for ST5 filming was June 2023-June 2024. Let’s just say hypothetically the strike ends officially in mid September. In that case, filming for ST5 would likely start within weeks after that, some time in October. If that were to happen, filming would likely go from October 2023-October 2024, still giving them a year of filming like they originally planned before the strike(s).

For reference ST4 finished filming in September 2021 and premiered in May & July 2022. In the case filming would start in September/October, we’d likely be looking at another Summer release for the final season in 2025.

So, if you’re hoping for a 2024 release, don’t hold your breath. In fact just let that go because it’s not happening.

Once the strike is over it’ll be a matter of making sure everyone’s available and schedules align in areas that are necessary. Making sure actors that have scenes together are on set at the same time is going to be a top priority, as well as just the main cast in general aligning their availability with their other potential projects outside of ST (like David who was also going to be filming Thunderbolts simultaneously with ST in Atlanta), so that it works for everyone and can be done in a timely manner. Then making sure supporting actors fit into that as well despite them having less screen time, aligning with each other is important.

I’m optimistic things could end sooner than we were anticipating, like I know some people were saying the strikes could go until January next year. Even now though I still don’t really want to fully get my hopes up because negotiations could continue for weeks upon months if the guilds and studios are still far apart.

Let’s just continue to keep a close eye on what’s going on before getting ahead of ourselves one way or another.

But for some good news, the AMPTP (the studios) have reached out to the WGA to meet on Friday officially for negotiations again. They have not met since before the strike began in May so this is very good news. That alone should be a good sign that the strike is very very unlikely to last another 2 years, so you can just ignore that 2027 rumor, it is baseless!

[chirpsythismorning]

If you’re looking for something to do during hiatus, I highly reccomend making a playlist of songs that could feature in s5.

I did this to prepare for s4 back in 2021 and a couple of the songs did actually end up featuring in that season.

So while this can just be for fun, it can also be a method of theorizing what’s yet to come for the final season, specifically the music. And we all know how important of a role music plays in Stranger Things, so there’s a lot of potential for predicting at least some details of the final season.

For my playlist, I decided songs pre-1986 are obviously an option. However, it would be quite difficult to narrow down what could feature in ST5 when it comes to music released all the years previous to the setting, since the options are kind of endless. And so although there are some older songs that are obvious contenders, the main focus of my playlist thus far has been songs from 1986-88 (making room for a potential 1-2 year time jump).

My guess is that MAYBE at least one song from this playlist could end up featuring in s5, and even that is maybe wishful thinking. But I did get lucky last time, so who knows!

PS: I will say that in my search for songs this time around, it’s been a little overwhelming. Seriously, no exaggeration, 99% of the songs are cheesy and include the word heart and sleepless nights and assumed unrequited love. Now I think I know where Will got inspiration for his monologue in the van, seeing as literally all the music surrounding them in that era sounds exactly like that 😭😭😭

[chirpsythismorning]

Thoughts on this?

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but 2024 is even a little optimistic in terms of a release for Stranger Things 5.

I know right now there's been this assumed expectation that it will release in 2024, and that's definitely still possible! But from what we've seen, no one from the production, neither the Duffers, the cast, nor Netflix themselves have said 2024 will be the year s5 releases, definitively. (If I remember correctly, when asked in an interview about s5 coming out in 2024, Noah dodged the question and said that they want it to be really good and are going to try to get it out as soon as they can... if anything he was trying to hint here that fans should be prepared that it might not be 2024, but that's okay bc that means that quality is being considered over a speedy release).

Again there have been talks about it, and I'm sure that's what they're shooting for. But they don't seem to be making any official statements about 2024 being a for sure thing. Because I mean, how could it be?

Covid did a really big number on the industry, especially production for ST4. Not only that but workers are starting to unionize and fight back against long hours, shitty wages and unsafe working conditions.

And so there's this unknown looming. Could the global pandemic reach a point that causes the industry to come to a halt again? Could there be a strike that stops productions from filming, including ST5? There's just a lot of unforeseen factors to keep in mind.

Our perception of how fast shows should be cranking out between seasons, are from a rose-tinted lens and honestly a little bit naive. We're not taking into account that those same expectations we have are based on an industry that has thrived off of malpractice for decades.

So, would I be mad if ST5 came out in 2025? No.

Also important to note that this is the end. I know that a lot of fans are impatient and just want the final season ASAP, but even so, when we do get it, it's over after that. There's nothing else to look forward to for fans when it comes to these characters. Arguably, hiatus will be the time we'll look back on and miss most when this is all over. So enjoy theorizing and analyzing during the wait while you still can!

And again, let's keep in mind, a sooner release means they might have to rush and make quick decisions that impact the story negatively, with them settling for results that could have been better had they had more time. Whereas a later release, or at least later than we may have hoped, will probably mean they got the essential time they needed and therefore a lot better quality for the final cut.

David Harbour said late last year that filming will start in the summer. Noah just mentioned a few times recently that he starts filming in May. But it was also mentioned in an interview promoting WYFSTW with Finn that filming would be starting in March.

Who knows for sure right now, it'll probably require us getting closer to the start to know. But the good news is once filming starts, they'll tell us! However, this does bring up an important aspect of all of this that fans also don't seem to take into consideration, which is scheduling.

The main cast are all hot commodities now, with most of them having multiple productions to film in one single year. And so, imagine trying to get about a dozen A-B listers schedule's to overlap? It's not easy.

Though from what I've read, David is dealing with schedule issues because he's filming another movie at the same time as s5. And Noah specifically mentioned school being a factor when he brought up filming starting in May for him. And so it's possible overall production for s5 could be starting sooner than we think, with some main cast-members starting earlier/later than others.

I think the main good news (everyone cheer) is that we have no new characters for s5. And so I think that will allow filming to take a little less time. S1 was a lot smaller scale in terms of the characters focused on, with production going from September 2015 to early 2016 and with a release in July that same year. But s1 was also very very small scale in comparison to what s5 will be. While filming for s5 will definitely be shorter than s4 in terms of over overall running time, it'll still be longer and just in general bigger than s1.

I'm gonna take an educated guess and say at least 9 months for filming s5, but it's possible they could run up to a year because of scheduling issues, unexpected delays, unforseen events, with some cast-members potentially working earlier/later than the majority of the production. Best case scenario, filming could be done by December 2023, and that's taking into account filming may indeed not start fully until May 2023. This would give them roughly 8-10 months of filming.

And that's not even including post-production for VFX, which is likely going to take upwards of 6 months at least, because the upside down is expected to be a main setting for the story in s5, meaning a lot more time spent working on visual effects despite filming already being complete. Then there's editing and all that good stuff. And don't even get me started on marketing (they're watching us rn taking notes for ST5 social media promo... Smile and wave boys!)

Again, I do think 2024 is possible, though it would have to be later in 2024. Summer 2024 is still a little too optimistic, but I wont rule it out bc they love summer releases.

March 22nd on the other hand, is very much pushing it, as they'd only be like 2 months into VFX at that point.

Though, I could see the vision of this, assuming it released in 2025 (lands on a Saturday that year, but still according to new theories March 21st is potentially an important date related to Henry/Vecna and it's the day s4 started the story off, so that's possible!)

March 21st 2025 would be my ideal date if they had to push it further out to a 2025 release. And that is a big possibility, which is why I think they're not out here comfortably sticking to a year right now.

It's also likely that when we find out the official year of release, we'll get a poster potentially or some kind of short teaser hyping up the final season.

ST5 2025 is kind of iconic. But I guess we'll just have to see!

Even though I don't think March 22nd 2024 is possible, it would be cool to get some major news on that day, like an exact release date for the final season maybe? That would be birthdaygate proof in and of itself.

[munsons-maiden]

When u say that your wips are gonna be posted around the st5 release, do you mean in two years irl ? 😅

Yeah 😅

While writing Worlds Apart, I realized a few things:

1. I feel pressured to post updates as fast as I can because interaction on the chapters is dwindling from week to week with the fandom going dormant again - and I fear by the end of the series, there won't be many people left to read its finale because there have been delays in posting.

2. I'd love to be able to guarantee weekly updates on a set day, but I can't do that when I'm writing the chapters one after another.

3. Interaction will be at an absolute low during seasons. It's sad but I'm not the only writer taking time to write the stories and then posting them around the airing of the next season. Yes, we write for ourselves, but if you post a story that gets barely any interaction, with a reblog rate of sometimes just 2 or 3%...it's disheartening and it takes the joy of writing away because why put the stories in your head on paper when barely anyone reblogs or leaves a nice comment? I don't want to go through the struggle that has driven so many writers away from fandom so it's a means to protect my own joy about sharing my stories, in a way.

4. The most important thing: time. I usually jump a lot between WIPs which keeps inspiration fresh and prevents me from feeling burnt out, and due to the pressure I'm putting myself under to update the story as fast as possible, there's not much room for jumping to other WIPs when I feel like it rn. And if I know the deadline to post is in one and a half years, roughly, I'll have all the time in the world to finish these stories, start new ones etc.

This goes ONLY for the announced series and the bigger oneshots, though.

Don't worry, I won't go on hiatus and I'll still write and post Eddie requests so I'm not leaving! Just taking my time with the bigger stories, which means that when I start posting them, there will be guaranteed weekly updates 🖤