Skip to main content Games Radar Retro Gamer Total Film The smarter take on movies Search GamesRadar+ View Profile Xbox Series X Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 Tabletop Gaming Toys & Collectibles Retro Gamer Newsletters Gaming Magazines Why subscribe? Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99Subscribe now Best Netflix Movies Best movies on Disney Plus Movie Release Dates Best Netflix Shows Recommended reading Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things season 5 is coming in three parts this holiday season – and a terrifying first look at Netflix Tudum teases the highest stakes yet Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things creator says the latest season 5 trailer is basically spoiler-free because it's "mostly" Volume 1 and "just barely scratches the surface" Supernatural Shows First Stranger Things season 5 trailer teases the final battle from hell – and judging by the blood, it's clear only some of the Hawkins gang are making it out alive Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things season 5 first look revealed some new characters, and fans are debating what it means for the Netflix show Sci-Fi Shows Netflix has finally revealed the title of Stranger Things' animated spin-off – and we're already gearing ourselves up to face the Mind Flayer again Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things star confirms they were in the "last thing" filmed for season 5, giving us a better idea of who survives until the final season's last moments Drama Shows Netflix Tudum Live Coverage – All the biggest Stranger Things season 5, Wednesday season 2, and more news as it happened Entertainment Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things Stranger Things showrunner debunks that 3-hour finale runtime rumor post: "Not even close to accurate" Mireia Mullor 21 July 2025 Season 5 of the beloved Netflix show is set to premiere in only a few months When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Netflix) A fake episode runtime list for Stranger Things season 5 went viral last week, claiming that all episodes of the upcoming season were over two hours long. Seeing that the post was spreading far and wide online, one of the creators of the Netflix show, Ross Duffer, finally took to social media to deny its authenticity. "Lol not even close to accurate," he simply wrote on his Instagram stories along with a screenshot of the false runtimes (via What's On Netflix). In the fabricated document, we can see a list of all season 5 episodes and their respective titles, which were announced by Netflix last year. Each episode is assigned a runtime, ranging from 2 hours and 5 minutes to 3 hours for the finale. The fake image features a watermark that reads "Property of Netflix", which has led some users online to believe it was an official announcement. You may like Stranger Things season 5 is coming in three parts this holiday season – and a terrifying first look at Netflix Tudum teases the highest stakes yet Stranger Things creator says the latest season 5 trailer is basically spoiler-free because it's "mostly" Volume 1 and "just barely scratches the surface" First Stranger Things season 5 trailer teases the final battle from hell – and judging by the blood, it's clear only some of the Hawkins gang are making it out alive Thanks to Ross Duffer, we can confirm that this information is not accurate, as the runtimes for the episodes have not been announced yet by Netflix. We do know, however, that the episodes are going to be quite long. During an appearance in Podcrushed a year ago, actor Maya Hawke said season 5 is going to be "basically eight movies", as the episodes will be "very long". This year, her co-star Finn Wolfhard told Collider that "not every episode is like a full-blown movie, but there are definitely some episodes this year that the runtime is definitely film-length." Runtimes aside, Netflix finally dropped the first Stranger Things season 5 trailer a few days ago, teasing a final bloody battle between the beloved protagonists and the terrifying Vecna. As per the official synopsis: "Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown. As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time." Stranger Things season 5 is set to be released in three parts, with the first landing on November 26, followed by the second half on Christmas Day (December 25) and the finale on January 1, 2026. For more, check out out our picks of the best Netflix shows to stream right now. See more TV Shows News Streaming Services Mireia Mullor Contributing Writer Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Stranger Things season 5 is coming in three parts this holiday season – and a terrifying first look at Netflix Tudum teases the highest stakes yet Stranger Things creator says the latest season 5 trailer is basically spoiler-free because it's "mostly" Volume 1 and "just barely scratches the surface" First Stranger Things season 5 trailer teases the final battle from hell – and judging by the blood, it's clear only some of the Hawkins gang are making it out alive Stranger Things season 5 first look revealed some new characters, and fans are debating what it means for the Netflix show Netflix has finally revealed the title of Stranger Things' animated spin-off – and we're already gearing ourselves up to face the Mind Flayer again Stranger Things star confirms they were in the "last thing" filmed for season 5, giving us a better idea of who survives until the final season's last moments Latest in Sci-Fi Shows From Andor's Luthen Rael to Jedi Survivor's Cal Kestis, Star Wars fans are discussing their favorite characters of the Disney era Qui-Gon Jinn actor Liam Neeson admits he's "lost track" of Star Wars spin-offs when asked about Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 rumors Hayden Christensen has canceled a Comic Con appearance over night shoots, and we're hoping that means he has a bigger Ahsoka season 2 role New Alien: Earth trailer gives us our best look yet at the USCSS Maginot crash landing, and it's giving us major Blade Runner vibes Stranger Things creator says the latest season 5 trailer is basically spoiler-free because it's "mostly" Volume 1 and "just barely scratches the surface" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ throwback cameo finally confirms a decades-old Star Trek fan theory, and I can’t quite believe it Latest in News Ghost of Yotei has a "similar" time commitment to Ghost of Tsushima, and another 25-hour open-world RPG sounds heavenly to my swelling backlog Despite Oscar wins and making over $30 billion at the box office, MCU boss Kevin Feige has "never been satisfied" with any Marvel movie he's released 37 movies into the MCU, Marvel boss Kevin Feige says Fantastic Four is their "first standalone" film: "There's no homework required" Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot blames Star Wars Outlaws' missed sales targets on Star Wars itself being in "choppy waters," but hopes further improvements and a Switch 2 launch can revive the open-world game Avengers: Secret Wars will "reset" the MCU into a "singular timeline," but Kevin Feige says it's not quite a reboot: "Reboot is a scary word" My Donkey Kong Bananza playthrough is being haunted by the remains of numerous iconic enemies and allies from classics like Donkey Kong Country GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Donkey Kong Bananza Review: "Destruction isn't just a flashy gimmick for the Minecraft generation, it's one of the best inventions Nintendo has had in years" Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 review: "A nostalgic, must-play hit for fans" College Football 26 review: “Thanks to rivalries and dynasty, this is the greatest show on turf” Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy" Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Contact Future's experts Terms and conditions Privacy policy Cookies policy Advertise with us Review guidelines Write for us Accessibility Statement Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Please login or signup to comment Please wait...