Netflix is adding one more official goodbye to the “Stranger Things” era: a behind-the-scenes feature focused on the show’s final season. The documentary is titled One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, and it’s positioned as an inside look at the years of work that went into finishing the series.
Release date
Netflix says the documentary premieres January 12, 2026. A trailer is already out through Netflix’s official channels, framing the film as a full production chronicle rather than a short promotional featurette.
What the documentary actually is
This is not more story content. It’s not a hidden continuation of the plot. It’s a making-of documentary.
Netflix describes it as a look at the effort and craft behind the final installment of the series, which usually means you can expect a mix of set footage, rehearsals, problem-solving moments, and cast/crew reflection as the show closes out.
What you’ll likely see inside One Last Adventure
Based on how Netflix typically structures these “final season” making-of docs (and how this one is being presented), the most valuable parts tend to be the human and logistical stuff fans never see:
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The scale of production: how they built and shot the biggest sequences, what changed from plan to execution, and what it took to land the final episodes.
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The emotional wrap: last days on set, final table reads, goodbye speeches, and the cast processing that it’s actually done.
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The creative decisions: why certain story choices were made, what got cut, and what the creators wanted the ending to feel like.
Netflix’s own framing strongly suggests the film is meant to function as the final companion piece to the ending, not a replacement for it.
Why fans think “there’s more,” and why that’s mostly wishful thinking
Right now, there’s a loud online rumor cycle claiming a “secret episode” is coming (or that the ending isn’t what it looks like). Entertainment Weekly describes a viral theory pushing the idea of a surprise drop and fans “finding clues,” but it also notes how shaky a lot of that evidence is and that the documentary is the confirmed next release fans can actually count on.
If you’re trying to be realistic, the documentary announcement is being misread by some people as “extra Stranger Things story.” It isn’t. It’s extra Stranger Things access.
The franchise future: spinoffs are the real “more Stranger Things”
If you want more of the universe (not just behind-the-scenes footage), Netflix is already building that.
Two spinoffs have been reported as in the works: an animated series called Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 and an untitled live-action spinoff.
That matters because it answers the big question honestly: the main series is ending, but the brand is continuing in new formats.
Takeaway
If you’re a fan who isn’t ready to let go, the documentary is Netflix’s official “one more time” moment: a final pass behind the curtain, landing January 12, 2026.
It won’t extend the story, but it will extend the experience—and if you’re hunting for actual new narrative content, the spinoffs are where that energy is headed next.
