The final season of the hit Netflix show Stranger Things premieres tonight, with fans waiting in anticipation to see what happens to their beloved characters.
The first volume of the season comes out 2pm today, with the first four episodes set to be released. It will be followed by volume two on Boxing Day, and the grand finale on New Years Day.
The show first premiered on the streaming platform in 2016, with each season growing in popularity. According to Netflix, Stranger Things season four amassed 781.04 million hours viewed in its first two and half weeks, breaking the record previously held by Bridgerton season 2.
In New Zealand, it frequently appeared in the top 10 list.
The show, set in the 1980s, follows supernatural creatures in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, with each season seeing the beloved characters take on a bigger, more terrifying threat from an alternate universe.
Christchurch mega-fan Maia Driver has been watching the show since it came out.
“I am so excited, this show has been my favourite show since I was like 13, so now as a 20-year-old…I feel like I’ve grown with these characters.”
She said there’s lots of unanswered questions she feels will be tightened up this season, but she doesn’t know what to expect.
“Stranger Things always keeps me on my toes so I am worried that some crazy things could happen that leave me with emotional responses.”
On TikTok, fan theories have been rife as to what the season will bring, with the consensus that no one is safe.
And with bigger budgets, it is sure to be a fan experience like no other.
Screenrant reported season 5 is estimated to have a production cost of $50 to $60 million per episode, making it one of the most expensive seasons in the show's history. There will be eight episodes in total.
The first season, however, cost $48 million for the eight episodes.