Stranger Things 5 Will Be As 'Big As Any Of The Biggest Movies We See'

Owing to the one-two punch of the writers' and actors' strikes, Stranger Things has yet to shoot a single frame of its eagerly anticipated fifth and final season. (Read creators the Duffer Brothers' statement here.) But already we know at least one thing for sure about the Netflix hit's bittersweet sendoff: The show going to go out with a bang.

"There's no way to be contiguous with Season 4, and not, frankly, expand scale and depth," executive producer/director Shawn Levy tells Total Film. And considering that the series' penultimate run of episodes unleashed the Upside Down on Hawkins, killed insta-fave Eddie, left poor Max knocking on heaven's door and set up a climactic rematch between One and Eleven, that's saying something. (Read the recap here.)

"It's major, major, cinematic storytelling that happens to be called a TV series," Levy continues. "Stranger Things 5 is as big as any of the biggest movies that we see."

Before Hollywood was shut down by the strikes — which, it bears mentioning, show no signs of being resolved anytime soon — among the intel that had trickled out was that Terminator badass Linda Hamilton has been added to the cast, 10 Cloverfield Lane director Dan Trachtenberg has signed on to helm an episode, and owing to his psychic connection to Vecna, Will is going to be taking center stage.

For more Season 5 teases, check out the photo gallery above. Then hit the comments with your hopes/fears about our last hurrah with El, Dustin, Lucas, Mike and the gang.