Strangers Things Stars Recall Going From 'Smallest Set On Season 1' To Entire Backlot: Crazy Sets This Year

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about Stranger Things Season 5 has been scaled up, from the sets to the visual effects. The cast of the Netflix series also felt it as they spent most of 2024 filming the epic finale. They talked about how they went from filming on the smallest stage for Season 1 to taking up the entire backlot at their Atlanta studio. Check out what Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, and Millie Bobby Brown had to say about the final season's filming.

Stranger Things cast on 'marathon' filming for Season 5

At the world premiere of the final season, the cast of Stranger Things spoke to Entertainment Weekly about filming for a year. Actor Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan Byers, called the shoot a "marathon." He shared, "It always starts with this excitement and this energy, and then there's always this middle..."Caleb McLaughlin, who plays original The Party member Lucas Sinclair, looked back in wonder at the intense filming experience, as he recalled, "Season 4 was about two years [filming] because of COVID, but this one we came in knowing we're gonna film for a year. It was date to date. I thought you were gonna say, 'How did you keep your sanity?' I don't know if we did, honestly."

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While the whole shoot took around a year, the cast wasn't shooting every single day and did have breaks in between. Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven, explained, "The stamina is truly the fact that we all love and care about it. The crew, they are so invested in bringing it to life that I think that truly drives the stamina of it all. We all care 'cause we've been here for so long. So what gets me up in the morning is I'm doing this for my 10-year-old self because I care and I love the work."ALSO READ: Stranger Things Season 5: First Five Minutes Teases Return To Upside Down With VecnaThe crew of Stranger Things had a harder time being on set every day for Season 5; there were 200 more crew members for the final instalment. And for the "one last adventure," the scale was the grandest it's ever been. The cast all recalled that the sets for the last season were the biggest they had filmed on. Brown remembered, "We were literally the smallest set on season 1."

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While Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers, added, "It was like an indie film. And the Demogorgon in season 1 versus season 5 visual effects..." Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, also revealed that by the end of Stranger Things' run, they had taken over the entire backlot compared to a small portion in Season 1. He stated, "Season 5 was the first time where we showed up to set and we're like, 'Holy s---! Whoa!' Like, crazy, crazy sets this year."The first four episodes of Stranger Things are premiering on November 26, 5 pm PT on Netflix. In India, the episodes will release on November 27 at 6:30 am.