Netflix's documentary One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 has revealed the staggering cost of the final season, with each episode estimated to cost between £32.7 million and £44.5 million to produce. According to figures from Forbes via Puck, the eight-episode season could total around £357 million, based on the higher figure.
The budget surpasses that of blockbuster films such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (£331 million) and Avengers: Endgame (£296 million), and is only slightly less than Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (£363 million). In comparison, season four of Stranger Things cost an estimated £22 million per episode, with a total budget of around £200 million for nine episodes.
The documentary also highlighted that the ending was not finalised before production began, leading to fan backlash over the series finale. The Duffer Brothers, creators of the show, described each episode as akin to making a mini film, with significant attention to detail but limited time due to the television format.
Labour costs, including cast and crew salaries, typically account for roughly half of the production budget, with the remainder covering set construction, equipment, and location fees. The Duffer Brothers are reported to have received a nine-figure sum from their multi-year deal with Netflix, signed in 2019, though exact figures are not publicly available.
