How expensive was Stranger Things Season 5? Budget of the Netflix blockbuster series explored

The Stranger Things fifth and final season inches closer every day, and the anticipation of the first volume set to premiere on November 26 is higher than ever. The speculation and anticipation surrounding the final season have reached an unprecedented high, and deservedly so, considering the iconic impact that the series has had on popular culture since its release in 2016.

Calling the show a global blockbuster would not be amiss. So, making one of the biggest television productions in history, it turns out, leads to an unprecedented budget as well. Recent reports have indicated that the eight episodes of Season 5 are some of the most expensive episodes in television history.

Keep reading to find out how much it cost to make the concluding chapter of Stranger Things.

Stranger Things Season 5: The Netflix Blockbuster's budget

For nearly a decade, the Stranger Things story has evolved into the global phenomenon it is today. The nostalgic love letter to '80s horror will finally find its conclusion in the fifth season of the show. These eight episodes, which will mark the concluding chapter for the Netflix blockbuster, have been described as nothing less than "blockbuster movies" with an hour-long runtime (even more for some of them).

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, the Duffer brothers talked about the intensity of the final season:

"We spent a full year filming this season. By the end, we had captured over 650 hours of footage. So, needless to say, this is our biggest and most ambitious season yet. It’s like eight blockbuster movies. It’s pretty, pretty insane."

"Season 5 will be big and epic. There’s no time for a ramp-up. It’s going to be intense from beginning to end"

The "biggest and most ambitious" season would be a correct definition, considering the reported budget for Stranger Things Season 5.

According to reports from Puck, the fifth season of the cultural juggernaut has a $400 million to $480 million budget. Each episode has a $50 million to $60 million price tag. Season 4 had an estimated budget of $270 million. To put these numbers in context, the first season of Stranger Things had a total estimated budget of $48 million, marking a 900% increase in production cost.

In a budget breakdown, more than half of the cost covers cast and crew labor. Adding to that the production costs, equipment, location, and post-production expenses, which are considerably higher for the blockbuster because of the VFX.

These heights of this budget stem from an overall rise in the cinematic scale of production. The Duffer brothers have revealed the eight episodes to be akin to eight blockbuster movies, and a blockbuster movie has a high budget (Avengers: Endgame had a reported budget of $356 million).

The fight between the Hawkins kids and Vecna is set to find its most challenging and dangerous chapter in the fifth and final season, as Hawkins is set to turn apocalyptic with Vecna and the Upside Down taking over. The high budget for the season and the cinematic teaser for the season have ramped up all expectations for the final chapter of Stranger Things.

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