Stranger Things is returning for one last hoorah, and it looks like Netflix is going all out for its star performer. According to reports by Puck News, Season 5 cost somewhere around $50-60 million per episode to make. Since there are eight episodes in the final season, it brings the reported total budget to a massive $400-480 million.
This makes Stranger Things Season 5 one of the most expensive seasons in television history. It is also on par with some of the most intricate and costly films to have come out of Hollywood recently.
For example, Avengers: Endgame is reported to have a budget of around $356 million to $400 million, as per The Numbers and Box Office Mojo. Of course, the fan-favorite Marvel movie got its money’s worth by bringing in over $2 billion at the box office. Moreover, the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash is said to have a production budget of $250 million (via Collider).
It’s truly insane that a series on Netflix has reportedly surpassed big productions in terms of budget. However, this could be good news for the show as it promises jaw-dropping moments that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats. After all, the Duffer Brothers don’t disappoint. Just stay away from Steve, please…
How Does Stranger Things Season 05 Compare to Movies Like Avengers: Endgame?
Endgame served as the explosive finale of the MCU’s Infinity Saga and brought over 20 characters from the past, whether as main characters or short cameos. Needless to say, the salaries alone for the Hollywood A-listers probably accounted for a large chunk of the film’s budget. Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson alone took home a reported $20 million and $15 million base salary, respectively.
Moreover, the film had such intricate CGI that it’s difficult for the average viewer to separate visual effects from reality. Collider and other outlets estimate the VFX budget for the film to be around $65 million, though it could be more. The marketing cost for the film was over $200 million (via Deadline).
As for Avatar 3, there is no doubt that Pandaro’s immersive world-building must have cost a fortune. Adding that to the salaries of actors like Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana causes a significant dent in the budget.
Comparing these films to season five of Stranger Things, its budget is spread almost equally across eight episodes. Everything from the cast’s salaries, visual effects, reshoots, and setbacks like the writers’ strike has something or the other to do with the juggernaut budget of $50-60 million per episode. Previously, as per Cosmopolitan, Season 04 had a budget of $30 million per episode.
Owing to the multiple episodes, each having a runtime of over an hour, season 05 will have way more content than your average 3-hour-long film. This means there will be more reshoots, more sets, more VFX, etc. Each episode will come with its own cost and logistics.
As per Business Insider, the main cast is expected to earn anywhere between $6 million to $9 million for the upcoming season, with Winona Ryder and David Harbour making the most out of the lot.
Moreover, the recurring cast of Stranger Things has grown exponentially over the years, especially Millie Bobby Brown. For example, Ryder made $100,000 per episode in Season One, going up to about $1.19 million in Season 05. Thus, it goes without saying that they will be walking away with much higher paychecks than before, adding to the season’s overall budget.
Shawn Levy Opens up About Stranger Things’ Emotional Send-off
Executive producer Shawn Levy opened up about Stranger Things coming to an end, calling it “as emotional as you can imagine.” While talking to The Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet for The First Shadow‘s opening night, the Deadpool & Wolverine filmmaker stated,
“It was as emotional as you can imagine and maybe more emotional than you’ve heard. It was happy, it was a relief because it’s been a long haul.“
As for the season itself, Levy called it a “beast” that prevailed through setbacks to become what it is. He said,
Season 5 was a beast. It took a year just to film Season 5. There were strikes, there were shutdowns but it was also goodbye. It was not goodbye to each other because many of us will stay friends and stay connected, but goodbye to these stories, goodbye to Hawkins.
While he is well aware that the talented team of the sci-fi series will go on to do great things in its future, Levy also knows that a project like Stranger Things is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He stated, “You’re lucky if you get one ‘Stranger Things’ in your life. That’ll never happen again, and I think we all know it and all cherish it.“
Stranger Things Season 5: All You Need to Know
Stranger Things Season 5 will be released in three parts towards the end of the year, and will consist of eight total episodes. The first part will be released on November 26, the second on December 25, and finally, the finale will be aired on December 31. The Duffer Brothers, along with Levy, are producing the season.
The season will pick up a year after the events of Season 4 as Hawkins deals with the opening of the Rifts. The heroes are united in their mission to locate and end Vecna for good. They must face a series of obstacles on their way, perhaps even losing someone close to them along the way.
Watch the teaser trailer below:
Here’s a list of the main cast members and their reported salaries, as per Puck News:
The rest of the actors who fall in the fourth tier will make “much less” as compared to those in the first three tiers. As for Brown, she has a separate lucrative deal, which is not included in any of the four tiers. While her salary remains unknown, it’s safe to assume that she’s making more than her fellow co-stars.
Cara Buono, Linda Hamilton, Amybeth McNulty, Nell Fisher, Joe Chrest, and more are also a part of the season.
According to Puck News, every episode in the fifth season will have an insane runtime of over an hour, ranging from 90 to 120 minutes. Clearly, fans will be eating good this holiday season.
Share your thoughts on everything from the season’s budget to the emotional rollercoaster it promises to be in the comments section below.
Stranger Things Season 5 premieres on Netflix on November 26.
