"Stranger Things" Season 5 Delayed due to WGA Strike

The fate of "Stranger Things" will remain a anonymous until Netflix and other companies come to the table with a fair deal.

Production on Season 5 of the streamer's hit series was slated to begin in June, but the streamer's refusal to pay writers their due has left Matt and Ross Duffer with no choice but to join the picket line along with the rest of the writers' room. 

The brothers took to the official writers' room Twitter to release a statement expressing their support for the Writers Guild of America's strike, saying that shooting won't get underway until a fair deal is negotiated.

"Stranger Things" Season 4 was a high point for Netflix in terms of viewership as the series crossed the coveted 1 billion hours viewed mark. Thanks to the efforts of the writers, it also made an impact on fans, crafting some of the best storylines the series has seen surrounding its beloved characters as they battled Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). It all bleeds into an exciting Season 5 which looks to tie up every loose end in Hawkins, finally exploring what the Upside Down is as it begins to infect the real world. Not to mention, the new season will bring Will (Noah Schnapp) back into the spotlight in a throwback to how the series began.

 Major plot points are being kept close to the vest, but producer Shawn Levy admitted, "I don't think there was a dry eye in the room," after hearing the emotional pitch out for the plot.

Regarding the strike, the Duffers hit on a reality that studios seem to ignore about the process of creating a film or series — "Writing does not stop when filming begins." 

As major studios like Disney and HBO attempt to order their showrunners back to work and shows like House of the Dragon try to finish filming without writers around for consultation, there's little acknowledgment of everything writers are responsible for and how far their duties extend. 

The Stranger Things writing team wants that effort properly recognized through fair pay before they can get back to working on the epic Season 5 story.

"While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike," the Duffers added. 

"We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work."

On May 2, Hollywood film and television writers went on strike, shutting down late-night TV shows, in demand for higher pay to the doors of major studios in a labor dispute that hinges on how the streaming boom is changing show business.

Hundreds of members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) demonstrate in New York and Los Angeles in the first work strike to hit Hollywood in 15 years.

Marvel recently felt the sting as the Mahershala Ali-led Blade reboot went back on the shelf. Netflix itself has also been hit with another major series, "Cobra Kai", pausing work on Season 6.

The entertainment industry as a whole lost approximately $10 billion in share value following the first day of the strike.