"This passage of time is definitely not helping" — When Shawn Levy made his feelings clear about the time gap in shooting Stranger Things

Shawn Levy is a Canadian filmmaker and executive producer for Stranger Things, directing key episodes and co-founding 21 Laps Entertainment, which launched the series on Netflix in 2016.

In an October 2023 Variety interview, Levy addressed the delays in the filming of Stranger Things season 5 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

“This passage of time is definitely not helping,” Levy said.

The final season, shot in Atlanta, faces time constraints from the strike. The younger actors of the cast have been portraying their characters for over a decade, since they were in their early teens, and have undergone changes in their physical appearances. Shawn Levy, however, said that the hair, makeup, and wardrobe department of the series would be able to expertly handle the challenges.

In an interview, Millie Bobby Brown told Women’s Wear Daily she’s ready to move on.

“It’s time to create your own message,” she said.

Levy’s remarks sparked talks about production challenges and solutions like makeup and time jumps.

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How will Shawn Levy address the aging cast issue?

In an October 23, 2023, Variety interview, Shawn Levy expressed concerns about Stranger Things season 5, due to the aging cast, which will not suit the teenage theme of the hit TV series.

The SAG-AFTRA strike, starting in July 2023, halted filming in Atlanta, where the show is produced. Actors like Millie Bobby Brown (21), Finn Wolfhard (22), and Noah Schnapp (20) now appear older than their Hawkins high school characters. However, Levy praised the show's hair, makeup, and wardrobe department, asking viewers to keep faith in them to counter the issue.

"Our hair, makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup,” he said.

He further added that no stone would be left unturned to aid the production, and that the cast couldn't wait to start filming again.

“So we’re going to use all the all the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us,” he promised.

He rejected the idea of AI de-aging the actors for the fifth season, stating to Deadline in November 2023, “No.” The discussion also covered his Star Wars project, but for Stranger Things, Shawn Levy noted the Duffer Brothers’ planned time jump to the late 1980s, aligning with the cast’s ages.

David Harbour also discussed the final season with Josh Horowitz on Happy Sad Confused in August 2023.

“It’s very, very moving,” he commented.

Shawn Levy emphasized practical solutions and crew support, highlighting the strike’s impact on their livelihoods.

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Production status and cast details of Stranger Things season 5

Cast of Stranger Things as shown in the picture (Image via Netflix Tudum)

Stranger Things season 5, which marks the final season of the show, began filming on January 8, 2024, in Atlanta after delays from the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which paused production from May 2023.

Stranger Things season 5 features Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield, Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Noah Schnapp as Will Byers, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson.

It also features Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, and Linda Hamilton in an undisclosed role.

In a September 2023 Collider interview, Shawn Levy spoke about aiming for a cinematic finale.

"It's always a mixture of both with Stranger Things ... if you look at any episode of Stranger Things , you can see that the Duffers have always been obsessed with, as they put it, sticking the landing. We’ve got to stick the landing of every episode, and we tried to stick the landing with the end of every season. So, you better believe we are all of us devoted to sticking the landing with the series finale."

Set in the late 1980s, the eight-episode season will conclude the Hawkins teens’ battle against supernatural threats like Vecna.

In November 2023, David Harbour told Deadline how the series will end its run.

“The beauty of it is there’s a real ending — things will end in a very real way,” he said.

Expected in 2025, the season emphasizes emotional closure.

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