Stranger Things Documentary Excludes David Harbour and Winona Ryder

Netflix announced Stranger Things isn’t quite finished yet, as it will return on January 12 with the documentary titled One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5. However, two main stars from the series aren’t included in the final documentary.

The documentary is directed by Martina Radwan, known for Girls State, and she sat down for an interview with Variety to discuss her major project, One Last Adventure, as she went behind the scenes for one of the most highly anticipated series finales in the last decade.

Radwan captured iconic moments from season 5, but also got to sit down with the cast and crew as they prepared to finalize the final episodes after nearly a decade. When asked if she would be including two of the series’ biggest characters, Hopper (played by David Harbour) and Joyce Byers (played by Winona Ryder), Radwan gave a shocking update:

“We just didn’t get the time. They were busy with other projects, and so we didn’t have the time to sit down.”

Both Harbour and Ryder are successful actors within their own rights, with Ryder’s career spanning decades, but it’s a shock to hear they weren’t featured in the documentary showcasing the final moments of Stranger Things.

Despite being there since the very first episode back in 2016 and being fundamental to a lot of storylines within the series, it’s a surprise to hear they won’t have any last words to share with fans.

It was recently announced that Harbour had pulled out of an upcoming project titled Behemoth due to feeling “overwhelmed” after Stranger Things season 5 press. He will be appearing in the upcoming MCU movie Avengers: Doomsday as the recurring character Red Guardian, as well as Violent Night 2, GOAT, The Trashers, and Evil Genius.

David Harbour as Hopper and Winona Ryder as Joyce dancing together and looking at each other.

He has been heavily featured in the press leading up to season 5’s release due to an ongoing rift with estranged wife and musician Lily Allen, as well as an alleged feud with Stranger Things co-star Millie Bobby Brown, known for playing his on-screen adopted daughter Eleven.

Ryder, known for Little Women and Edward Scissorhands, doesn’t have any upcoming projects to report, which could signify a slowdown in her appearance in future projects, as her last project in 2024 was a reprisal of her role as Lydia in the sequel to Beetlejuice.

All episodes of Stranger Things are available to stream on Netflix, and One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 will be released on January 12.