Stranger Things Creators Say Gap Between Seasons 4 and 5 'Should Be Quite a Bit Shorter'

Netflix

The Duffer Brothers have some good news for Stranger Things fans.

Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed when viewers can expect season 5 to arrive. While admitting there are no guarantees, the pair said in a joint statement to Variety: "The gap should be quite a bit shorter this time, due to the fact that we already have an initial outline, and we can't imagine there will be another six-month forced hiatus."

The third season of the Netflix hit premiered in July 2019, but production on season 4 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring in early 2020. The Duffer Brothers used that time, in part, to fine-tune their ideas for season 5.

"During the six month pandemic hiatus, we outlined season 5 and pitched it to Netflix," they explained. "Everyone there had also been present when we first pitched the show in 2015. While we were strangers then, we were now friends, and there were a lot of tears when it was over."

The duo continued, "It's just been an extraordinary journey for all of us, and while it's hard to believe that we're approaching the end, we feel incredibly lucky to have such amazing partners."

RELATED: Stranger Things Season 4 Review: The Supernatural Hit Is Back — and Scarier

Stranger Things will return for season 4 on Friday. The season will be split up into two parts, with the first seven episodes dropping this week and the final two episodes streaming in July.

Per Variety, episode 7 has a 98-minute runtime and episode 8 goes for 85 minutes. The season finale nears the two and a half hour mark.

"Given the unprecedented length, and to get it to you as soon as possible, Season 4 will be released in two volumes," the pair said in a previous letter to fans, noting that season 4 is "bigger than ever."

Netflix

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Duffer Brothers also used the announcement to share that Stranger Things will conclude after its fifth season.

"Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things. At the time, we predicted the story would last four to five seasons," they wrote. "It proved too large to tell in four, but — as you'll soon see for yourselves — we are now hurling toward our finale."

Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in 2016. The acclaimed sci-fi drama series stars Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke and Priah Ferguson. Dacre Montgomery was a part of seasons 2 and 3.

The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season 4 drop Friday on Netflix, with episodes 8 and 9 premiering on July 1.