‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 Actor Nell Fisher Couldn’t Tell Her Classmates Where She Was for ‘a Year’

It’s not uncommon for kid actors to be told they’re turning into big stars at their movie premieres, but such praise felt especially fitting when it came to celebrating Nell Fisher at the world debut of Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm.” The 12-year-old actor, whose other work includes Lee Cronin’s “Evil Dead Rise,” was announced earlier this week as one of a few new faces expected on screen when “Stranger Things” finally returns with Season 5 sometime next year. She’ll replace twins Tinsley and Anniston Price as Mike and Nancy Wheeler’s little sister Holly, now old enough to play a real part in vanquishing Vecna.

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Greeted with a sea of awkward laughter (and one audience member randomly yelling out, “Don’t do it!”), Fisher took a long pause when asked what she could share about the sci-fi juggernaut without getting into too much trouble.

“It’s just been so exciting, everyone’s been so lovely and welcoming, but it’s better now that it’s out,” Fisher said. “It’s a hard secret to keep, especially when you’re 12-years-old, going to school, and you’ve got friends wondering why you’re not in school for year. But yes, I’m super excited and it has been a lot of fun.”

Also joining “Stranger Things” in Season 5, Alex Breaux (known for the neo-Western series “Joe Pickett”) and Jake Connelly (a newcomer outside of the short film “Between the Silence”) were announced at the same time as Fisher. Their casting comes after an undisclosed role for “The Terminator” icon Linda Hamilton was announced last year. Most of the existing cast — assuming their characters survived! — will return, although specifics around the series’ finale remain shrouded in mystery.

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Although its been greenlit for ages, the final installment in the Duffer brothers’ horror dramedy has been delayed repeatedly thanks to the Hollywood strikes. It’s an industry reality Fisher may have to get used to, but that couldn’t have made keeping her secret any easier. Since premiering in 2016, the coming-of-age epic has steadily increased gaps between seasons with the last one being the longest.

Having opened Fantasia Fest 2024, “Bookworm” stars Elijah Wood and Fisher in Timpson’s unexpected and delightfully kid-friendly second feature. It’s an odd couple father-daughter adventure that’s the total opposite of the filmmaker’s earlier horror favorite “Come to Daddy” — a project that, considering her growing genre pedigree, Fisher could have been good in too. Celebrating his young star, Timpson joked that he attempted to congratulate Fisher before the future “Stranger Things” professional flatly inquired, “Who are you?”