Fans of "Stranger Things" have been patiently waiting for the fifth season, but due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the show's production has been delayed way longer than anticipated. This is an issue since the stars of the series are already growing up.
From Teens to Adults in a Season
The second volume of the fourth season was released back in June 2022, which means that it has already been more than a year since the latest season aired. It's not that strange since there's also a three-year gap between the fourth and third seasons.
However, the problem is that the show has halted filming due to the strikes, and the actors can't exactly stop themselves from aging. The cast's age in the fourth season also serves as an issue since it's where most people start to mature appearance-wise.
"Stranger Things" Executive Producer Shawn Levy admitted that the passing of time during the strikes is definitely not helping. But, they are confident that they have a way of making it appear like the cast has not aged at all.
Levy expressed that their "hair and makeup and wardrobe department are pretty exceptional, using costumes and wigs and makeup." Since the gap is not that far, it is possible that the hair and makeup department could make a few adjustments.
"The '80s are also our friends in returning these young adult actors to their iconic Hawkins characters. So we're going to use all the tools available to us. And I know our cast is as eager to get back to work as the rest of us," the executive producer stated, as per Gizmodo.
Even if that doesn't work, it bodes well for the showrunners that the show revolves around mystery and fiction, which allows them to take creative liberties in creating a scenario that explains the cast's aging. For instance, maybe the Mind Flayer put them all in a trance for years.
Update on the Strike
While the protest is still ongoing, the recent updates bear good news for people who just want everyone to finally get what they deserve. SAG-AFTRA has already surpassed its 100th day of striking and has confirmed that company executives asked them to return to the table.
With that, official negotiations have resumed today, October 24th, according to SAG-AFTRA. Hopefully, a fair deal can be reached so that actors can return to doing what they love without having to settle for smaller pay than they deserve.
Luckily for WGA, an agreement has already been reached. The strike ended after 146 days of protests. It was regarded as the second-longest strike in Hollywood history, and it has led to great results for all the writers involved.
In the Memorandum of Agreement, several aspects were tackled and resolved such as the increase of minimums, increased health and pension contribution rate, increased health and pension contributions for writing teams, terms on artificial intelligence usage, and more.
"We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional," says the guild, adding that the deal has "meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership." Hopefully, SAG-AFTRA will come to the same conclusion.
