Stranger Things Season 5 Recruits Legendary Film Director

Stranger Things season 5 has drafted a big name to direct several upcoming episodes.

That name is Frank Darabont, the man who helmed one of the greatest movies of all time in The Shawshank Redemption . He’s also responsible for The Mist and Green Mile . He’s also a man who was, up until now, retired.

So, why come out of retirement? Because Stranger Things is just that damn good, says Darabont. “My wife and I really love this show,” he tells The Daily Beast . “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.”

While Darabont is known for movies, he’s no stranger to TV, having developed and executive-produced two seasons of AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead . In fact, the last project Darabont helped direct was 2013 TNT crime drama Mob City .

Since then, he’s been enjoying a decade away from the limelight. However, Stranger Things showrunners the Duffer brothers managed to lure him back for Stranger Things’ fifth and final season.

Does Darabont plan to stick around after? “Who knows?” he says. “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.”

For more Stranger Things , give a read of our top 5 Stranger Things episodes ranked . Stranger Things season 5 releases on Netflix in 2025.