Just over two years after audiences last saw Hawkins nearly destroyed by the Upside Down, Gaten Matarazzo is sharing an update on Stranger Things season 5's filming. The hit Netflix show has served as Matarazzo and other young actors' breakout roles, starring as a group of friends in a fictional small Indiana town in the '80s as they frequently combat the otherworldly forces of the parallel dimension known as the Upside Down. Stranger Things season 5 was confirmed by the creators, the Duffer Brothers, before season 4's release, with the season set to conclude the show, and beginning filming in January 2024.

Now, during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the upcoming Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, Matarazzo was asked whether Stranger Things season 5 will be the "biggest, darkest, scariest" yet for the show. The Dustin actor began by confirming "that's the goal" for the show going into its final season, with the Duffers always looking from the writing perspective to have it grow "every year in scale and size and the message they want to bring":

I think that’s the goal. That’s certainly the intention behind writing it. The one consistency of this show is that it just grows every year in scale and size and in the message that they want to bring. So this season is not different in the slightest, and I knew that they had prepped that, initially. They said, “Hey, this one is going to be really, really big. We’re not going to candy-coat it: it’s a full year shoot.” And that led to a big reaction of, like, “Oh, so we’re really going for it.” So we have been [going for it] and we still are. I’m excited for people to see it.

Matarazzo would go on to admit that his feelings about shooting the show's final two seasons changed over time, having first "always been anxious to do it" and recalling that the various delays to get it off the ground were "certainly frustrating". Now, though, the young star expresses it being a "pretty jarring thing" as they are "getting towards the end of our filming process" and lamenting the "different adjustment" he will have to go through as he leaves behind his star-making role:

If you were to ask me that last year, I probably would’ve been like, “No, let’s do it. Let’s get to it.” I’ve always been anxious to do it and I love to do it, so any delay in the process is certainly frustrating. But now that we are getting towards the end of our filming process for the fifth season, yeah, I’m asking for a Time-Turner. It’s been a pretty jarring thing to realize how quickly it all flew by. I remember so many things from that first season so vividly, as if it was yesterday. We were so young, and it was such a weird, wild experience that it kind of blended together. So it’s not that I remember the process of filming season one incredibly sharply, but there are a few distinct things that feel like they just happened. And at this point, I’ve almost been doing Stranger Things longer than I haven’t. It’s taken about a decade of my life, and it’s the most formative decade of my life. So I’ll always be really grateful, and coming to terms with letting that go is increasingly difficult, for sure, in a work sense and in a life sense. You can always expect that next season, work-wise and emotionally. So it’s going to be a different adjustment and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

What This Means For Stranger Things Season 5

The Duffers Are Looking To Top Season 4's Scares

Matarazzo's assurances that the Duffer Brothers are aiming to make Stranger Things season 5 the "biggest, darkest, scariest" season yet is sure to be both a welcome and mixed update for fans of the show. Though season 4 kept the show's perfect streak of Fresh ratings from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it did see a slight dip in reception from prior seasons, with critics specifically citing the overlong episodes as their biggest issue with the season. See how Stranger Things season 4 compared to prior seasons on Rotten Tomatoes in the chart below:

Season No.	RT Critic Score	RT Audience Score
Season 1	97%	96%
Season 2	94%	90%
Season 3	89%	86%
Season 4	86%	89%

Given Matarazzo confirmed that Stranger Things season 5 is undergoing a year-long production schedule, it does seem likely that the Duffer Brothers are not only aiming to match the scares of season 4, but also the runtime of the prior season. For those who were gripped from start to finish by season 4, this will be a positive update, as it'll ensure the duo are delivering well-rounded stories for the wide ensemble of characters going into the series finale. However, if the Duffers haven't landed on a proper pacing balance with these longer episodes, season 5 may prove a disappointing final chapter for some viewers.

Our Take On Matarazzo's Stranger Things Season 5 Update

A Greater Focus On Horror Stays True To The Show's Original Premise

Putting aside fears of another overstuffed set of episodes, Matarazzo's assurance of StrangerThings season 5 aiming to be the show's scariest yet is a really encouraging one. Looking back at the show's first season, the Duffer Brothers found a nice balance of lighthearted adventure and genuinely affecting scares, while the next two seasons proved a little inconsistent on the latter front as the overall tone shifted to more coming-of-age drama. Stranger Things season 4, though, did bring things back to the horror sphere, with Vecna's killing proving absolutely haunting.

Considering Stranger Things season 5 will be closing out the hit show, it would certainly be a disappointment if the Duffer Brothers didn't aim to make it the scariest season yet, particularly since Vecna will be back. After his defeat by the combined efforts of Eleven, Nancy, Steve and Robin, he's likely to want vengeance, and with how brutal Vecna's killings were in season 4, it seems possible, per Matarazzo's comments, that season 5's kills will be even more chilling.