Millie Bobby Brown delivered an emotional speech to the cast and crew of “Stranger Things” as the fifth and final season of the Netflix series officially wrapped filming this week.
“I am nowhere near ready to leave you guys,” the actress said in a social media video, re-shared on X by Pop Crave. “I love each and every one of you, and I’ll forever carry the memories and bonds we’ve created together as a family. I love you.”
Brown, who has previously expressed a desire to be finished with the franchise, stars as Eleven, a young woman with psionic abilities. She was 12 years old when cast in the show’s iconic role, and she went on to produce and star in two “Enola Holmes” films for Netflix, based on the books by Nancy Springer, as well as Netflix’s “Damsel,” an adaptation of the novel by Evelyn Skye.
In her own Instagram post, Brown wrote “with love, el ❤️” along with a series of behind the scenes photos of her from the entire run of the series.
Brown wasn’t the only one to bid farewell. In his own post, co-star Finn Wolfhard said he’s “still in shock” that the filming has wrapped on the series.
“We shot it for a year and I’ll miss all of my friends and our characters terribly. When I think of the show, I picture this first photo. A bunch of goofy young people making something they think is cool but really have no clue what’s to come,” he said, referencing a photo posted of the main cast when they were younger. “I feel like we’re still those people and I’m lucky to still stand beside them today. I hope you’ll love this season as much as I do. See you all next year.”
Actor Noah Schnapp also said he’s “feeling very emotional” after wrapping his final scene as Will Byers two days ago, adding that he is “forever grateful for the incredible people that I’ve met and valuable life/career lessons I learned through this decade journey.”
“Growing up I always felt like an outcast, unsure of where I fit in. Navigating life in the spotlight while carrying this feeling, through every awkward phase and embarrassing moment exposed for the world to see, has definitely been an unusual experience. But I’ve been honored to share it with my incredible co-stars, who understand it in a way that no one else can,” Schnapp continued. “‘Stranger Things’ was more than a job; it was a lifelong dream. A dream made reality thanks to the Duffers. Thank you for taking a chance on me when I was just a 10-year-old kid and entrusting me with something so important to you both. Together, this cast and crew have built something so very special, and I couldn’t be any more excited for the world to see the final chapter. ‘Stranger Things’ is a never ending story for me — it’s in my heart forever.”
Ross Duffer also celebrated the cast and crew, which he said have become family and hold “a special place in our hearts.”
“Everyone involved was determined to bring this story to a satisfying conclusion. They poured their hearts and souls into it, and we couldn’t be more proud of what they’ve accomplished,” he added. “We can’t wait to share it with you all next year. Until then — over and out.”
Netflix confirmed that the series had finished wrapping via its own social media post on Friday, along with a series of behind-the-scenes photos.
Created by The Duffer brothers, “Stranger Things” first debuted in July 2016 and quickly became one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Season 4 alone amassed 140.7 million views globally. Over the course of its run, the drama has been nominated for over 230 awards and has won 70, including 12 Primetime Emmys and a Peabody.
After a significant delay due to last year’s strikes, principal photography on “Stranger Things 5” began in January. That kicked off a marathon of filming for the final eight episodes of the show, all of which are being kept under lock and key. Netflix released the titles of all eight episodes in a teaser posted last month.
Though we don’t yet know when “Stranger Things 5” will premiere, we do know that it takes place in the fall of 1987, is primarily in Hawkins and is coming back sometime in 2025. Given how long post-production takes on this show, it’s unlikely it will premiere before next November or December.
The first four seasons of “Stranger Things” are available to stream on Netflix.
