Stranger Things -the final bow five things to know

The hit science-fiction-horror series “Stranger Things” returned with new  Episodes. .Shattering streaming records since it first hit screens in 2016, the Netflix show follows a group  of teenagers in a small American town as they take on supernatural creatures and a parallel  universe. Here are five things to know.

Star-studded cast

Stranger Things brought back 1980s icons like actress Winona Ryder, who earned a Golden  Globe nomination in 2017 for her role as Joyce Byers. In another dose of 80s nostalgia, Robert Englund –- the actor behind horror icon Freddy  Krueger –- made a cameo appearance in season 4.

The series has also transformed the careers of its younger actors including Millie Bobby  Brown, who rose to fame at just 12 years old. Now 21, the actress produces and stars in her  own blockbuster films, such as the popular “Enola Holmes” saga.

Actor Finn Wolfhard, 23, who plays Mike Wheeler on the show, has found wider success with  roles in both the “It” and “Ghostbusters” franchises. Speaking to AFP last year, Wolfhard said the cast wanted to give all the characters a “proper  send-off”.“You try to find that balance of a huge ensemble and try to find the perfect ending for  everyone.”

1980s nostalgia

The Dufer Brothers, creators of the hit series, captured the spirit of 1980s classics like Steven  Spielberg’s movie “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”, the “Nightmare on Elm Street” films and  Stephen King’s “It” novel. Across five seasons, the characters take on supernatural monsters while dressed in baggy  jeans, T-shirts and trainers. From Will Byers’s bowl cut to Steve Harrington’s tousled mullet, the show has given oldschool hairstyles new life.

Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill”, which is featured in the series, also topped UK  charts in 2022 and reached one billion streams on Spotify the following year -- decades after  its initial release. 

An early Netflix smash

Nine years after it began, Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon. One of the most-watched shows on Netflix, it transformed the streaming giant into a cultural  powerhouse.

Each episode has an estimated budget of tens of millions of dollars, surpassing the  production price tags of many Hollywood films.

Nine years after it began, Stranger Things has become a global phenomenon. One of the most-watched shows on Netflix, it transformed the streaming giant into a cultural  powerhouse.

Marketing masterclass

The success of its fifth chapter, which tallied nearly 60 million views at launch, is reflected in  its presence in public spaces. Major retailers have dedicated corners to the show, such as HMV on Oxford Street in London  or Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

“The series made me love the 1980s -- I watched it with my father, who lived through that  era,” Pauline Lehobey, a 29-year-old veterinary assistant, told AFP in Paris, while holding a  Demogorgon figurine.

Stranger Things universe

The show has made its way on to stages in London’s West End and on Broadway with the play  “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, launched in late 2023. The prequel, set in 1959, explores the backstory of Henry Creel, also known as the villain  Vecna in the show. Netflix has announced for 2026 an animated spin-off series set between the second and third  seasons. A mystery novel centred around Mike’s older sister, Nancy Wheeler, has also just been  released.

(AFP)