Shawn Levy is the executive producer of ‘Stranger Things.'.Photo:VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Courtesy of Netflix
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty; Courtesy of Netflix
According toShawn Levy, the heart of the final season ofStranger Thingsis, well, heart.
At the 76th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards, the executive producer of the hit Netflix series gave PEOPLE a cryptic teaser about the series’ long-awaited fifth and final season.
“If I was a fan who had nothing to do withStranger Things, I would presume that the final season was going to be big in scale,” Levy, 55, tells PEOPLE. “But I’d also want to note that the heart and soul of that show, which is its characters, are intact and are as central as spectacle.”
“And indeed, they are,” he adds.
Nominated for a DGA Award forAll the Light We Cannot See, Levy also brought upStranger Thingswhile discussing how the limited series — which is set during World War II and starsMark Ruffalo— was his first true period piece, not the hit sci-fi show.
“I’ve never done a straight-up drama,” he tells PEOPLE. “I’ve never done a period piece other thanStranger Things— but that doesn’t really count because I was alive in the ’80s.”
The cast of ‘Stranger Things’.Netflix
Netflix
Levy’s newStranger Thingsteaser echoes whatStranger Thingsshowrunnersthe Duffer brothers— twins Matt and Ross Duffer, 39 — toldIndiewirein 2022:They are being extremely mindful as they wrap up the existing characters’ arcs.
“We’re doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for season 5,” Matt told the outlet, noting that the duo is “trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.”
Added Ross: “We’ve got a great cast of characters here, and actors, and any moment we’re spending with a new character, we’re taking time away from one of the other actors.”
Along with the long-awaited announcement, the streameralso shared a picture of the series’ cast— including Brown,David HarbourandWinona Ryder— as they reunited for the first time since filming the fourth season, which debuted in May 2022.
The new cast photo also featured starsCaleb McLaughlin,Gaten Matarazzo,Noah Schnapp,Joe Keery,Maya Hawke,Natalia Dyer,Charlie Heaton,Sadie Sink,Priah Ferguson,Cara Buono, Amybeth McNulty,Brett GelmanandFinn Wolfhard— who appeared to have a script in-hand.
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While the upcoming season ofStranger Thingswill be the last, Netflix has additional projects in the series’ universe in the works — including ananimated spinoff showand aprequel play,Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which debuted in London’s West End in December.
Stranger Things’ first four seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.
source: people.com
