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Stranger Things co-creator says every rumored runtime on the web right now is "inaccurate", as he reveals which episodes "are like movies"

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By Amy West published 26 September 2025

The Duffer Brothers have set the record straight when it comes to Stranger Things season 5 runtimes

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Stranger Things season 4, volume 2 finale
(Image credit: Netflix)
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With so few concrete details about Stranger Things season 5 out there, it's no surprise that fans have resorted to lapping up rumors. Some of the biggest rumors that have been circulating concern the new batch of episodes' runtimes, which co-creator Matt Duffer has debunked... again.

"Every runtime I've seen posted online is inaccurate," he recently told Variety, before going on to confirm that some chapters are as lengthy as those in season 4. “Episode 4 and episode 8 are like movies." On social media, it had been highly speculated that each episode would be at least two hours long, and that the finale would clock in at a lengthy three hours.

This isn't the first time the Duffer Brothers have shot down the rumors. Back in July, Ross took to his Instagram Story to share the runtimes alongside the caption: "Lol not even close to accurate."

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Later, as part of the publication's Entertainment and Technology Summit in Los Angeles, Ross offered up a cryptic tease of how the upcoming installment is going to shake up the Netflix show's typical format: "This isn't going about normal life, and then something supernatural happens to them, which is what we usually do."

"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," reads season 5's synopsis, with its official trailer revealing that Eleven has been forced back into hiding thanks to the government's intensified hunt to track her down. "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."

Just a few days ago, Netflix unveiled a behind-the-scenes featurette in which the Duffer Brothers suggest that it's the "biggest season we've ever had".

"It's more of an adventure and more of a mission, which I really like," Millie Bobby Brown adds in the clip. "Everybody is really put into the thick of it. No one is sitting back on a Walkie Talkie. Everyone is full throttle going for it."

Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix. While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to premiere on November 26, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

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