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Credit: NetflixMillie Bobby Brown has taken a hiatus from Stranger Things 5, and has been found in the Most Magical Place on Earth!
Millie Bobby Brown has been the essential star of the Duffer brothers creation of Stranger Things and has not only taken over Netflix but a majority of pop culture, creating a multi-million fan fandom. When we first saw Eleven come onto our screen after escaping the Hawkins laboratory all those years ago, audiences quickly fell for the telekinetic child and her group of saviors, Will Byers, Mike Wheeler, Lucas Sinclair, and Dustin Henderson.
Since that moment, the series has added so many other prolific and iconic characters that have worked together to culminate what is the most anticipated season of the franchise yet, the final season.
Stranger Things 5 Delay Confirmed
Many fans of the show were hoping to see Stranger Things debut in 2024, as the fourth season came out in early 2022, meaning its been over two years since the cameras were rolling. Considering the ending of Stranger Things 4, which left Hawkins as a massive portal to the Upside Down, had Max Mayfield stuck in a Vecna-induced coma, and Will feeling the well-known back of his neck tingle and connection to Vecna (Henry Creel) — fans have been on the edge of their seat for years waiting to see what will happen next, with over 1.352 billion hours of viewership in the first 28 days of debuting.
When Netflix dropped their 2024 sizzle reel of what subscribers can expect from the platform this year, the two major shows were Bridgerton season three, which sits at the fourth most popular show on Netflix, and Squid Game season 2, which is the most popular show on the platform to date.
While both of these are exciting releases to come to Netflix, it was quickly noticed that Stranger Things was not on that highlight video, confirming that the show would not be ready for a 2024 release, adding another year of waiting for fans.
We then got further confirmation of a 2025 release at the earliest due to the filming schedule of Stranger Things 5. The show has been filming for months now, but the length of filming was not determined until Millie Bobby Brown stated she would be filming for the full year through to December.
We now know the show will wrap filming on December 22, which means that even with a 2025 release, it will likely not be until the latter half of the year — possibly revealed as a Halloween season release.
Millie Bobby Brown Takes Hiatus from Stranger Things 5
Now, we have found out that Millie has actually abandoned set to visit Walt Disney World Resort.
Stranger Things on Spain shared an X post with photos, stating, “Millie Bobby Brown is taking a little vacation outside of Atlanta and will not film Stranger Things 5 during your downtime”
Millie Bobby Brown is taking a little vacation outside of Atlanta and will not film Stranger Things 5 during your downtime#StrangerThings5 #MillieBobbyBrown / Vía: @hcnterschafer pic.twitter.com/UV0VqYSGX0
— Stranger Things On Spain (@SThingsOnSpain) April 26, 2024
While not everyone would be able to spot the Disney details too immediately in the photo, there are a few tell-tale signs that prove Millie left the Upside Down to see Mickey Mouse. In the photo on the right, there is a cast member wearing plaid on his shirt, the plaid coloring indicates that he is a VIP tour guide, which many celebrities pay for when they visit as it allows them added security, the ability to go backstage, and skip any lines.
These tours can accommodate up to 10 guests and range at a cost of $450 to $900 per hour, depending on the season. It also does not include park admission, which has been averaging around $180 as of late for Magic Kingdom. But, considering Brown earns around $300,000 per episode (a price that may possibly have been renegotiated to be higher for the final season), this Disney trip was not a splurge.
We can also see that Brown is at Magic Kingdom due to the photo on the left, which shows her sitting outside of Pinocchio’s Village Haus, a quick service dining location in Fantasyland.
Some fans of the show were not too happy to see Brown at Disney, as they are blaming her for the lengthy filming process of season five. One fan wrote, “This is why the series takes one year to be done. 🙄”.
While it may seem that Brown is holding up filming for Stranger Things 5, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, Orlando is located just a few hours from Atlanta by car, which is where Stranger Things is filming. This shows she is vacationing but doing so very close to set.
Additionally, Brown may seem like the lead character of the show, but she is not needed in every shot of the show. In season four, she was actually not called to set for months when filming began, as the season had three separate locations that it was focusing on, and her storyline only took place in one of them.
The show also has down days for the entire cast, and with Orlando being in such proximity, this could have also been a weekend visit for the star, which she appeared to take with her family and fiancé Jake Bongiovi. With such a long filming schedule, many of the actors in the show will likely take their own hiatus breaks when not needed.
The Future of Stranger Things 5
The fifth and concluding season of the show faced delays attributed to the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, prompting fans to engage in speculation regarding its conclusion.
Among the most devoted fans, a theory has emerged suggesting that none of the depicted events are real. Instead, it proposes that the main characters are engaged in an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons, characterized by its complexity and duration.
“That is correct. That is the ending…. No,” Matt jokingly told Metro at the West End premiere of Stranger Things: The First Shadow about the fan theory.
Ross added, “That would be the equivalent of, ‘That’s all a dream.’ No, I assure you that is not how we’re going to end the show. We’ve known where we’ve been going for a while. And we feel comfortable with it; hopefully, it satisfies everyone. We’ll see.”
“I think I’m ready. It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year,” she told Women’s Wear Daily in an interview done before the SAG-AFTRA strike. “You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.”
Related: Millie Bobby Brown Faces Freddy Krueger in New ‘Elm Street’ Reboot Trailer
We do know that Brown is aware of how Eleven’s journey will wrap in the show, but not how the series will end. Linda Hamilton, from Terminator, has been cast as Eleven, which indicates a time jump that will show Eleven as a mature adult.
Season 5 will be one episode shorter than season 4 and will also consist of shorter episodes – except for the big finale, which is set to be “pretty massive”.
“The runtimes being as long as they were was something of a surprise to us. Ross and I have been trying to analyze how they ended up that long, because the scripts aren’t even that long,” Matt Duffer told The Hollywood Reporter.
“We’ve realized that our writing style has changed a little bit, in terms of how we space out description. I think that added to some length. Also, we had an additional plot with Hopper in Russia. It’s a pretty dense season. We weren’t sure they were that long, really, until we got into edit.”
Ross continued: “Our concern is pacing. If we can hold your interest for an hour and 15 minutes, then that’s a win. We did discuss breaking up [the finale]. We ultimately decided if it’s too long for someone, they can pause it and they can come back. It’s like reading a book. You can watch it at your own pace.”
Alongside shorter episode lengths, the Duffer Brothers have suggested a time leap for season 5 to accommodate the organic aging of the young cast and synchronize the characters’ ages with those of the actors.
During an interview with Variety, executive producer Shawn Levy remarked that the team intends to “utilize all available resources” to maintain the appearance of youthfulness for the actors. Some speculate that digital de-aging techniques may be employed to achieve this effect.
Regarding the storyline, upon the initial announcement of season five, the Duffer Brothers disclosed in a statement that they had outlined the complete narrative trajectory seven years prior. They emphasized that the fifth season would signify the culmination of that initial blueprint.
In a subsequent interview with SFX, they reiterated that while the conclusion remains faithful to the “basic outline” they crafted, it has since evolved into something “more captivating and exhilarating” than they and Ross had initially envisioned.
They said: “We know what the ending is. It’s conceivable that it changes, but I think it’s unlikely because it’s one of those endings that just feels, and has always felt, right. And it also feels sort of inevitable. Then when you come up with it, you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, well, that is absolutely what is has to be.’”
Are you excited for Stranger Things 5?