All strange things must come to an end, and for what is perhaps the strangest of things, the Netflix television program Stranger Things, that time is next season. While many people rely on Stranger Things as a regular income, not all its beneficiaries dread the show’s conclusion. One of the show’s stars is actively counting the days until the Upside Down is closed for good: David Harbour.
Discussing TV with Discussing Film (via The Hollywood Reporter), Harbour remembers a time when he “never, ever wanted it to end.” That might be because it was a breakout role for the actor, leading to the plumb role of Santa Claus and the less plumb role of Hellboy. However, he’s ready to move on now that he’s in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has replaced Tim Allen as Kris Kringle. That time has passed, and he’s ready to move on from hunting CGI monsters to becoming one.
“Now we’re almost nine years from filming the first season, and I think it is time for it to end,” he said. “But it is, of course, very bittersweet. You know, there’s a sadness there. But also, we’ve all grown up.” Nevertheless, insisting that he loves Stranger Things and thinks “it’s a great show,” even if he wasn’t on it, he believes it’s time to give these kids a chance to live their lives and stop trying to close inter-dimensional wormholes.
“It is time for us to leave that nest and try other things and different projects,” he continued. “And to let the Duffer brothers try different things as well. I mean, those guys are so talented. I want to see what they come up with next. So it is bittersweet, but it’s definitely time.”
While “Different Things” certainly has a ring to it, the Duffer brothers are thinking about their next projects. Last July, Deadline reported that the Duffers were launching a Netflix shingle called “Upside Down Pictures,” which will kick things off with a Stranger Things spin-off and, um, stage play. As the old saying goes, the more things strange, the more they stay the same.
In the meantime, Harbour only has to get through one more season before he’s free of all these dang kids. However, a release date for the show’s fifth and final season has yet to be announced. So hang in there, Harbour. The last season should be hitting Netflix in 2023 or 2024.