Stranger Things season 4 features two movie length episodes

Eleven in Stranger Things season 4
(Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 4 features two movie-length episodes, the Duffer brothers have revealed. 

The fourth installment of Netflix's hit sci-fi show is arriving in two parts, with the first set of episodes just days away. 

"The more we were writing, the more we realized we need more time in order for these reveals to land, in order for these storylines to work," Matt Duffer told TheWrap. "Partway through we knew we needed to ask Netflix for nine episodes instead of eight and as we started shooting we realized, Oh these are mega-long episodes."

As for which episodes are extra-long, they're coming later in the season. "Seven and nine in particular are movies," Matt Duffer added. "And nine is a long movie." 

While neither brother gave specifics on runtime, Ross Duffer did reveal slightly more on episode 9. "We're still refining it but we will say that it is over two hours. It's a big one."

Much of Stranger Things season 4 is still a mystery, but we do know that David Harbour's Hopper will be returning. 

"Hopper's been on a journey," the actor told GamesRadar+ in a new interview. "He's had a bit of a redemptive arc, and he hit a point where his control issues around his daughter were destroying him. They were destroying his relationships. He didn't really know how to be and he needed to die to be resurrected as this other thing. I think the way he starts season 4... he's like a baby, he's got a shaved head, he's all thin. But we see this thing awaken in him as a prisoner, this warrior spirit – and that's been in him since the beginning. We need that guy more than ever because the evil is getting so sophisticated and complex."

Stranger Things season 4 part 1 hits Netflix this May 27. In the meantime, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows streaming now to fill out your watchlist. 

Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.