Matt and Ross Duffer, the brothers behind the smash-hit Netflix series Stranger Things, are closing in on the show's finale. And while they're excited to be able to tell their full planned story, they have some regrets about the road to get there, telling Variety that they wish they had done more stories for the last decade.
"Part of me regrets not having been able to tell more different stories over the course of 10 years," Matt Duffer states. "Sometimes I wonder about that - because it ate up our entire 30s. I wish we had gotten it done a little faster, but it is what it is."
"To go this long was our choice. We could have jumped ship and done movies, and we elected not to - and I'm glad we didn't," he continues. "We finished telling this story, and luckily we weren't too old when we started it, so we're OK. I mean, Ridley Scott didn't start making movies until he was in his 40s. Netflix has been surprisingly patient. I feel that patience wearing thin a little bit, with the show coming to an end. But they're understanding."
At the same time, Ross Duffer feels grateful to have had the opportunity to finish the Stranger Things story, given the difficulty filmmakers can currently face in continuing their series.
"When we started, it was very early Netflix," he explains. "And I don't know how many more opportunities there are going to be to tell stories of this length on that size canvas. So whenever I have the regrets that Matt was saying, I'm excited that we were able to take advantage of this very specific period of time in the industry."
Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1, arrives this November 26, with volumes 2 and 3 following soon after on December 25 and December 31. Until then, fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best shows on Netflix.
