I’ve been seeing nothing but rumors online for about four or five days now claiming that a Stranger Things movie is coming next year.
Here’s the problem.
It’s not.
Now listen .. I’ll be the first to enjoy being wrong about this. Seeing the season finale of Stranger Things in the movie theater was great. I do wish the finale had been a bit different than it was, but that’s another story. At least I got to hear “Heroes” over the end credits on a big screen. That was cool.
But these baseless rumors about a Stranger Things movie next year? They’re circulating with no apparent source. No credible trade reporting. No official announcement. Just fake Netflix sites and fan accounts on social media repeating each other until it sounds real.
And that’s the issue.
This feels less like news and more like a pressure campaign to will some secret “Conformity Gate” Episode 9 into existence, the mythical lost chapter that people are convinced was quietly made.
This isn’t forecasting.
It’s wish casting.
If this were the weather world, it would be the equivalent of declaring a blizzard because you hope it snows.
Now, will there be more Stranger Things-adjacent content? Of course. We already know the animated series is coming. Netflix is planning to film the Broadway play for eventual broadcast. There will be spin-offs. There will be knock-offs. There will be things inspired by it for years.
But that’s not the same as a surprise movie starring the original cast.
Let’s be honest. They’re not kids anymore. The Duffer Brothers have moved on to other projects. And unless the stars align in some truly weird Upside Down way, the idea that the gang is secretly regrouping for a theatrical film next year feels… far-fetched.
What bothers me most about these rumors isn’t even the rumor itself.
It’s when the comments start treating the rumor as confirmed fact.
That’s how things snowball.
That’s how a baseless theory becomes a “factoid.”
That’s how next year rolls around and people get angry over something that was never promised in the first place.
Now again — I would love to be wrong. I’d absolutely show up. It would be fun to see what another installment could look like.
But let’s face the music.
It’s done, folks.
The only “Episode 9” you’re getting is AI recreations of what could have been… or fan fiction filling in the gaps.
And honestly? That might be okay.
We still have the memories. We still have the music.
And hey we still have The Squawk over at wsqkfm.com.
Unrelated to the show.
But the music will play on.
