In an interview with The Daily Beast, Darabont explained why he decided to return to directing Stranger Things, after stepping away from industry in 2013. He said,

“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. I haven’t missed the business but I have missed being on set with creative people.”

The 65-year-old director was personally asked by the Duffer Brothers to direct episodes of Stranger Things. According to the reports, he will be directing episodes 3 and 5 of the final season.

Stranger Things Season 5 Filming Update

Filming for season 5 has now entered its final phase as we approach October. Production is expected to wrap up by the end of the year, and a major portion of the final season has already been filmed. Recently it was also revealed that the cast had read the script for the final episode.

In other updates, Hawkins High School was recently demolished now that the filming has finished. The destruction of the iconic school has made Stranger Things fans sad and emotional. Many users suggested that they should have converted the building into a Stranger Things museum due to its iconic status.

However, the decision to urgently demolish Hawkins School was made due to the discovery of Asbestos in the building. It is a hazardous mineral that can cause cancer. Stranger Things creators made the difficult choice to destroy the building for safety reasons, especially since it had become a frequent fan destination.

Stranger Things season 5 is all set for a release in 2025 if all goes according to plan.