David Harbour Says He Begins Stranger Things Final Season Next Week: “We’ll Knock It Out of the Park” (Exclusive)

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is on the way. Fans of the hit Netflix series have been anxiously awaiting news about Stranger Things 5 for a while now, but the writers’ and actors’ strikes kept the massive production from moving forward earlier this year as planned. Not that both strikes have been resolved, Hollywood is preparing to head back to work, and it sounds like Stranger Things might be one of the first projects to get cameras rolling.

David Harbour, who stars on Stranger Things as Jim Hopper, spoke to ComicBook.com on the red carpet of the Box Lunch Holiday Gala for Feeding America on Thursday night. When we brought up Stranger Things 5, not only did Harbour say he was heading back to work next week, but he also made the bold statement that the team will “knock it out of the park” in the final season.

“I’m gonna just make a bold statement,” Harbour began. “Each year, it feels like the show’s getting bigger and bigger and more exciting. And we have a real responsibility to knock it out of the park in the final season. So if we don’t, give me all of your fan rage. Write the petitions. Go ahead, do it. Because I’m going down there next week to start and I’m going to pour my whole heart into this thing. I’ve read some of the scripts and in my mind, they’re stunningly beautiful. It’s time. We’re going to knock it out of the park. We’re going to deliver you the finale that you need, that you want, that I want.”

The fourth season finale of Stranger Things ended with the gate between our world and the Upside Down opening right in the middle of Hawkins, Indiana, setting up a war between its residents and Vecna’s evil forces. 

Stranger Things Prequel On the Way

Stranger Things 5 may still be a ways off, but the story of the Upside Down is getting a new chapter in the meantime. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a stage play that is set to open in London’s West End, telling a story set long before the disappearance of Will Byers and the arrival of Eleven.

The new Stranger Things production is a prequel that is set in Hawkins, Indiana in the late 1950s and chronicles the arrival of Henry Creel. Three of the main characters of the show are young versions of Hopper, Joyce, and Bob.

“We are beyond excited about Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement. “Collaborating with the brilliant Stephen Daldry has been nothing short of inspiring, and Kate Trefry has written a play that is at turns surprising, scary, and heartfelt. You will meet endearing new characters, as well as very familiar ones, on a journey into the past that sets the groundwork for the future of Stranger Things. We’re dying to tell you more about the story but won’t – it’s more fun to discover it for yourself. Can’t wait to see you nerds in London!”  

“The world and mythology of Stranger Things has enabled a rich and fertile ground for creating an incredible story for the stage,” Sonia Friedman added. “The Duffer Brothers have built a huge global following for good reason, and a world-class creative team has built on their boundless imagination to dream up an unbelievably exciting theatrical event for our audiences. Set within the canon of Stranger Things, this new play opens in London, with the West End hosting the only place in the world to experience this new story – for now. I’m thrilled to reunite with my visionary long-term collaborator Stephen Daldry. Together, with our brilliant Netflix partners, we can’t wait to welcome Stranger Things fans into theatre, and theatregoers into the realm of Stranger Things.”

Are you excited to see what the future of the Stranger Things franchise has in store? Let us know in the comments!