90s film legend comes out of retirement for Stranger Things as series 5 filming of Netflix hit begins
A 90s film legend has come out of retirement to join Stranger Things series five.
The popular sci-fi drama, which is set in the 1980s, debuted on Netflix back in summer 2016.
Production is underway on its fifth and final series – with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Frank Darabont signing up.
Frank, 65, directed and wrote the screenplay for iconic film The Shawshank Redemption.
His most recent directors’ credit was for short-lived series Mob City in 2013.
Speaking to Daily Beast, Frank revealed: “What really dragged me out of retirement was that my wife and I really love this show.
“Our content now is so filled with horrible people doing horrible things for greedy reasons but Stranger Things has so much heart.
“That positivity is something I really responded to.”
He added: “I haven’t missed the business but I have missed being on set with creative people…
“It may well be one and done, but we’ve still got time.”
The final series of Stranger Things sees the return of stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown among others.
Will the heroes make it through one last “quest” – or will some meet a tragic end?
After The Shawshank Redemption, Frank adapted other Stephen King stories.
He wrote and directed The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan.
Throughout his career, Frank has been nominated for an Academy Award three times.
This includes Best Adapted Screenplay twice (1995 and 2000) for Shawshank and The Green Mile respectively.
Stranger Things: Some of the show's biggest moments
By Conor O’Brien, TV Reporter
Stranger Things launched on Netflix in 2016 and became a pop culture phenomenon.
While the show’s ending after series five, there have been several key moments impacting the story.
Here’s a stroll down memory lane of Stranger Things, with moments from each series so far.
- Will’s disappearance: A central mystery in series one concerned the disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp). Everyone – from the police, his mother Joyce (Winona Ryder) and his loyal friends – were left on tenterhooks as to the boy’s whereabouts and what became of him. Mid-way through series one, Hawkins Police make a heartbreaking discovery after finding what is assumed to be Will’s body in a lake. Fortunately, it transpires this was faked.
- Dustin and Steve team up: Although they had nothing to do with each other in series one, series two saw Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) and Steve (Joe Keery) become an unexpected team up. The polar opposite characters formed a surrogate brother-type dynamic which has endured throughout the show.
- Billy’s sacrifice: Billy Hargrove, played by Dacre Montgomery, made his debut in series two and was immediately established as an antagonist. In particular, he formed a rivalry with Steve Harrington. In series three, his villainous antics intensify after becoming the main host for the Mind Flayer. However, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) later breaks Billy free of the control by reminding him of happy memories with his mother. The bully sacrifices himself to save Eleven from the Mind Flayer – and dies in stepsister Max’s (Sadie Sink) arms.
- Eddie Munson’s death: Played by Joseph Quinn, the character Eddie Munson was a new addition in series four – and soon became a fan favourite. The President of the Hellfire Club, Steve feared he would replace him as Dustin’s older mentor figure. In the end, Eddie dies a heroic death – by sacrificing himself to save others from monsters known as “demobats.”
In 2000, The Green Mile was nominated for Best Picture, but was unsuccessful in winning.
A decade later, Frank adapted The Walking Dead graphic novels for TV on AMC.
Although he ultimately left after the second series, the show itself ran for 11 years.
Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix