Shawn Levy Teases the ‘Heart and Soul’ of Stranger Things’ Final Season (Exclusive)

According to Shawn Levy, the heart of the final season of the film Stranger Things is, well, a heart.

At the 76th Directors Guild of America Awards, the executive producer of the hit Netflix series gave PEOPLE a cryptic teaser about the show’s highly anticipated fifth and final season.

“That I am a fan who has nothing to do with Stranger Things, I would guess that the final season will be on a grand scale,” Levy, 55, tells PEOPLE. “But I’d also like to note that the heart and soul of the show, which are its characters, are intact and central to the spectacle.”

“And indeed, they are,” he adds.

Stranger Things Season 5: Everything You Need to Know

Nomination for the DGA award for All the light we can’t seehe also brought Levy Stranger Things while discussing how the limited series — set during World War II and starring Mark Ruffalo — was his first true period piece, rather than the hit sci-fi series.

“I’ve never done real drama,” he tells PEOPLE. “I never did any old work except Stranger Things — but that doesn’t really count because I was alive in the ’80s.”

The cast of ‘Stranger Things’.

Netflix

Levy is new Stranger Things teaser echoes what Stranger Things Showrunners the Duffer brothers—twins Matt and Ross Duffer, 39—told Indiewire in 2022: They’re being extremely careful when rounding out existing character arcs.

“We are doing our best to resist [adding new characters] for Season 5,” Matt told the paper, noting that the duo is “trying not to do that so we can focus on the OG characters, I guess.”

Ross added, “We have a great cast of characters and actors here, and every moment we spend with a new character, we’re taking time away from one of the other actors.”

David Harbor says he is ‘delighted’ to return Stranger Things: ‘I’m ready to work’ (Exclusive)

Last month, Netflix revealed that production is underway on the final season of the beloved Millie Bobby Brown-hosted series.

Along with the long-awaited announcement, the streamer also shared a picture of the show’s cast — including Brown, David Harbor and Winona Ryder — reuniting for the first time since filming season four, which debuts in May 2022.

The new cast photo also includes stars Caleb McLaughlin, Gaten Matarazzo, Noah Schnapp, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Sadie Sink, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, Amybeth McNulty, Brett Gelman and Finn Wolfhard — who appear to have had a script in hand.

Also in the photo were the Duffer brothers and Jamie Campbell Bower, who won last season as the newest Big Bad, Vecna.

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While the upcoming season Stranger Things be the last, Netflix is ​​working on additional projects in the series’ universe — including an animated spinoff show and a prequel, Stranger Things: The First Shadowwhich debuted in London’s West End in December.

Stranger Things‘ first four seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.

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Source: HIS Education