We’re Still Totally Enchanted By These Pop Culture Witches

With the 13th anniversary of the first movie on September 28th, Banks (who’s also the new Chief Creative Officer for luxury canned wine brand Archer Roose) told Brit + Co that the cast knew the film was meant to last. “We knew that we were making something... I don't want to say cult [but] we knew it was truly funny and was truly about underdogs and had great characters — it tends to stick around,” she says. And trust us when we say that ‘aca-scuse’ me still makes its way into daily conversations.

Banks continues that the trilogy is “about coming of age, [which] really speaks to teenagers who feel not seen.” She jokes that, “acapella was for losers,” similar to the "loser" trope that infiltrated successful early 2000’s films like Bring It On, which makes it a project so many viewers are able to connect to. “I will say once I saw the reception to the movie early on, I think we knew that we had something that was very special.” If you don’t know the “Riff Off” by heart, you’re lying.

As rumors continue to swirl about a possible Pitch Perfect 4, we had to get to the bottom of whether or not she’d be up to reprising her role as Gail, the comedic acapella host.

“We're always looking for ways to give the fans something,” she says. “I think we would never want to be accused of a money grab.” And in a time where Hollywood continues to revisit past successes, the industry is no stranger to flop sequels — remember Fantastic Beasts (either movie after the original), Joker: Folie à Deux, Legally Blonde 2, or Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny?

And while the Pitch Perfect cast would love to make a fourth film in theory, it would need to be just right. “It's okay that it just lives and is its thing. I love that people want it, but I want to make sure that it delivers,” Banks tells Brit + Co. “There [are] three great movies, and we know these characters inside and out. If the idea isn't amazing, I don't want the audience to be disappointed.”

The Cocaine Bear star added that she is always trying to make “a deposit on the brand” and “never wants to make a withdrawal” — meaning that the franchise is continually so highly-praised that there’s no need to take away from it unnecessarily.

Banks jokes that fans “just want the same thing again” (AKA the nostalgia and comedy coming from the original movie). Her former costar, Anna Kendrick, recently told People that she “would love” to work on a Pitch Perfect set again, but believes that “Rebel Wilson is really like the steam engine of everything.” So it seems to be a never say never situation, if you can aca-believe it.

In February 2022, brothers, writers, and creators Matt and Ross announced both the date of season four, and that season five would be the last installment. "Seven years ago, we planned out the complete story arc for Stranger Things," they say in the statement. "We hope that you stay with us as we finish this tale of a powerful girl named Eleven and her brave friends, of a broken police chief and a ferocious mom, of a small town called Hawkins and an alternate dimension known only as the Upside Down."

Here's everything we know about Stranger Things 5.

What are the Stranger Things 5 episode titles?

For Stranger Things Day 2024, Netflix finally released the title names for season 5 — and they might have just confirmed a years-long theory. The Stranger Things finale will be called "The Rightside Up," which immediately reminds me of the theory that Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven will redeem the Upside Down from a place of darkness and horror to somewhere our favorite late characters can rest (or in the words of one Reddit user, "Eleven should take Vecna's place as the new ruler of the Upside Down and make it into a paradise"). And if that means we get to see Eddie, Barb, Bob, and Alexei again? Then that's just the cherry on top. It's also even sweeter when you remember the season 1 finale is called "The Upside Down."

"'the rightside up' just confirms to me that stranger things 5 has a happy ending," one X user says, while another jokes, "the last episode of st5 being the rightside up makes me sick." But I take comfort knowing David Harbour called the finale "the best episode they’ve ever done.”

All I gotta say is if season 5 ends by telling us the whole show was one big D&D game, I'm going to lose my marbles.

The Stranger Things 5 Episode Titles:

• Episode 1: “The Crawl”
• Episode 2: “The Vanishing of …”
• Episode 3: “The Turnbow Trap”
• Episode 4: “Sorcerer”
• Episode 5: “Shock Jock”
• Episode 6: “Escape from Camazotz”
• Episode 7: “The Bridge”
• Episode 8: “The Rightside Up”

When is Stranger Things 5 coming out?

Stranger Things 5 is officially coming to Netflix in 2025.

Production was supposed to begin summer 2023, but because of the writers' strike (and the subsequent SAG-AFTRA actors' strike), Stranger Things 5was delayed until September 2023, when @strangerwriters tweeted, "we're back." And on March 9, Millie Bobby Brown told The Jonathan Ross Show that the cast has nine months of filming left.

The final season is in production now, and based on the timeline for Stranger Things 3 (which began filming in April of 2018 and released in July of 2019), we can expect Stranger Things 5 to hit Netflix late spring or early summer 2025.

Is there a Stranger Things 5 trailer?

We don't have a trailer for Stranger Things 5 yet, but fans are convinced we're getting one on November 6 for one special reason: it's Stranger Things Day. @StrangerNews11 went viral on X for saying the trailer was dropping on that date, and fans were more than happy to accept the rumor.

"Let's freaking gooooooo!!!!!!" one user responded, while lots of other accounts posed gifs of excited, screaming people. November 6 is Stranger Things Day because that's the day Will first went missing in the Upside Down, and releasing the trailer for the final season would be the perfect way to pay homage to the series!

Is Stranger Things 5 going to be sad?

Stranger Things 5 is definitely going to be bittersweet. I'm hoping we see our favorite nerds defeat Vecna once and for all, but it's going to be sad to reach the end of this journey! But the cast doesn't even know how sad it'll be — considering Winona Ryder revealed they haven't done their read through for the finale yet. (Although both Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour claim they know at least part of the end).

"It's already starting to be heartbreaking, you know?" Maya Hawke, who plays Robin, tells ET at the world premiere of Inside Out 2. "I mean it's the end of a really long journey. Longer for some of my castmates, even, than for me. So it's really sentimental."

"But as a late addition cast member, I feel like it's my job to be here to facilitate their feelings and just be grateful and excited to have been a part of it all," she continues. "We shoot for a long time, so it's kind of reinvigorating [to bring] the joy and finding it everyday and making it new. It's a really fun thing to do."

Will Max be in Stranger Things 5?

Yes, Max (and Sadie Sink) will be in Stranger Things season 5! In a new interview with Variety, Sink reveals the Stranger Things cast has been living in the same neighborhood so they can all hang out before the series wraps. The end of Stranger Things 4 featured Max in a coma after narrowly escaping Vecna, and fans are crossing all their fingers and toes we'll see Max in action again.

“[The Duffers] love having me run,” she teases. “That’s all I’ll say.”

This is totally bringing me back to the iconic Stranger Things 4 momentwhere Max battled Vecna in his mind palace — running back to Lucas, Steve, and Dustin while Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" played in the background. And considering Max is STILL in a coma, I'm wondering if we'll get another standoff between the two characters (either IRL, in the Upside Down, or in Vecna's mind palace). The jury's still out on whether we'll hear Bush's song again, but never say never!

“She’s going to play a part in the season,” Matt Duffer promises. While they won't reveal how just yet, Duffer says they “did film a scene the other day with her that was just absolutely heartbreaking." Yikes!!

What happens in Stranger Things 5?

We're waiting for an official synopsis for Stranger Things 5, but thanks to a new video from Millie Bobby Brown, I'm wondering if all of those time jump rumors are true. In the Stranger Things 4 finale, Eleven is rocking a shaved head, but in Millie's new video, she has a longer ponytail that would take at least a year or two to grow out.

While Millie could definitely wear a wig for the final season (like she does in season 4), the fact that she's in costume with her signature bloody nose leads me to believe her hair is how we'll see it onscreen. Plus, her gray quarter zip and navy bandana are definitely giving late '80s, early '90s. I would love to see the show move into 1989, and I can't wait to see if we truly do get a time jump!

In an interview with Happy Sad Confused's Josh Horowitz, David Harbour says that the Duffers always outdo themselves. “I’m excited to go back. I’m excited to wrap it up in a bold, amazing way," he continues. "I’m excited to really swing with this character, because you know they’re going to pay off these OG characters: Eleven, Hopper, Joyce, Will, Mike; they’re going to pay them off in big ways because they’ve lived with you for the past eight years.”

Even though David keeps his lips sealed when it comes to plot details, he does promise that the series' end is "very, very moving."

Other members of the ST team have also offered a glimpse at what we can expect. “Will really takes center stage again in [Stranger Things 5],” Ross Duffer tells Variety. The first season, which kicked off with Will (Noah Schnapp) being abducted, will wrap up where it started. Especially since the first Stranger Things 5 leakseems to show the season will take place during the holidays. Just like season one!

After years of speculation from fans, Noah confirmed that Will is gay in July of 2022 — a decision that impacted his own life as he publicly came out on TikTok in January 2023.

"I think the way I act in Season 5, honestly, might be a little different," Noah says in the same Variety interview. "I will be fully aware of who I am. Knowing all of that about myself and being able to invest that in my character, I’m honestly just excited.”

“This emotional arc for him is what we feel is going to hopefully tie the whole series together," Ross continues. "Will is used to being the young one, the introverted one, the one that’s being protected. So part of his journey, it’s not just sexuality — it’s Will coming into his own as a young man.”

Who's going to be in Stranger Things 5?

Thanks to a recent behind-the-scenes photo from Netflix, we know for sure that Stranger Things season 5 will bring back all our favorites. The photo confirms we'll see Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, Noah Schnapp as Will, Finn Wolfhard as Mike, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas, Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin, Natalia Dyer as Nancy, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan, Sadie Sink as Max, Maya Hawke as Robin, Joe Keery as Steve, David Harbour as Jim Hopper, and Winona Ryder as Joyce. Plus more returning stars like Amybeth McNulty and Priah Ferguson!

Even though Joseph Quinn's Eddie met a tragic fate at the end of Stranger Things 4, he recently hinted we could be seeing the beloved character again. During the April 2024 Facts Convention in Belgium, when a fan asks whether he'll return for the final season, Joseph takes his time to respond (and looks somewhat nervous, might I add). "I do know [whether Eddie's in season 5]," the Fantastic Four actor finally says. "But I'm not telling you."

We've seen deceased characters return as hallucinations before, so I wouldn't be surprised if Stranger Things season 5 features all the characters we've been missing — especially if Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven defeats Vecna and turns the Upside Down into a place of beauty instead of a place of horror.

Will Millie be in season 5?

Yes, Millie Bobby Brown is in Stranger Things 5! She sat down with MTV's Josh Horowitz ahead of her new movie Damsel to talk about the end of the series, and confirmed the vibe is "the exact same" as it's always been.

"I wish I could be like, 'Everybody's crying everyday.' But everybody's having fun!" she says in the interview. "I know closer to the end, we're gonna think about the end, but right now it's nice and it's really fun to be back together again...[We may be] a few months toward the end but we know it's a long road ahead. So right now we're living in bliss."

Who isn't returning to Stranger Things 5?

Eduardo Franco, who played Jonathan's friend Argyle in Stranger Things 4, said in an interview with Steve Varley that he wouldn't be returning for the final season of the show. “It’s nice to hear that there’s some sort of, you know, concern or something, you know what I mean?” Eduardo says. “But I never got a phone call, so I think that’s it.”

And while Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn) became one of the series' most popular characters, his death in the finale feels pretty permanent. "I really don’t know,” Joseph told British GQ in 2022. “[Eddie] seems pretty f—king dead to me...By no means am I ruling it out. That’s a decision for the grown-ups to make. But Stranger Things was doing fine without Eddie. I think they’ll be fine next season without him, too.”

Who is the new character in Stranger Things 5?

Linda Hamilton (The Terminator, Children of the Corn) is joining the Stranger Things 5. We don't know what kind of role she'll be playing, but we do know she loves Stranger Things as much as we do. “I don’t know how to be a fangirl and an actress at the same time,” she said in a video announcement at Netflix's Tudum event. “I’m gonna work on that.”

Is there a Stranger Things spinoff coming?

"There are still many more exciting stories to tell within the world of Stranger Things," the Duffers say in their statement announcing the end of the series. "New mysteries, new adventures new unexpected heroes."

In addition to the Stranger Things: The First Shadowstage play in London, we're also getting a live-action spinoff via Netflix. No one knows what the spinoff is about — except for Finn Wolfhard, who happened to guess it!

Is Millie Bobby Brown done with Stranger Things?

Millie Bobby Brown is returning as Eleven, but she said in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily that she's looking forward to the next chapter of life. Now 20, she started the series when she was 11 years old. “It’s been such a huge factor in part of my life, but it’s like graduating high school, it’s like senior year,” she says. “You’re ready to go and blossom and flourish and you’re grateful for the time you’ve had, but it’s time to create your own message and live your own life.”

Other members of the cast have also expressed their thoughts on the show's end.

“It’s interesting to constantly just be reminded how much people have resonated with it," Gaten Matarrazzo said onTheTonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "It’s something that’s so important to all of us and has just been essential to the growth that I’ve had over all of my teenage years into my 20s. It’s the defining aspect of the past 10 years of my life.”

Even if Finn Wolfhard, isn't quite ready for the show to end, he knows it's time. "If Stranger Things went on any longer than five, I would say it would be ridiculous,” Wolfhard told Uproxx. “I think the Duffer brothers figured out, I would imagine, a perfect ending in five. We didn’t even know if we’d do two. So we’re happy that people still are around and want to watch it.”

Your First Look At Stranger Things 5 Fan Favorite Dustin Henderson

After sharing images of Joe Keery and Maya Hawke as Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley, co-creator Ross Duffer shared a picture of Gaten Matarazzo's Dustin in full Hellfire Club gear. Gaten's doing the signature move of fan favorite character Eddie Munson (who died at the end of Stranger Things 4), and a new leaked photo from set connects Dustin and Eddie in another way, too.

The image shows Dustin at Eddie's grave, which has been vandalized with spray paint. The only word we can clearly make out is "Burn," but considering Eddie led the Hellfire club, it's safe to assume the spray paint reads "Burn in Hell" — especially after the Satanic Panic plotline in ST4 turned all of Hawkins against Eddie. If Dustin is the new leader of the club, and the town still hates it, I'm going to need him to watch his back. STAY SAFE DUSTIN.

When will the Starbucks holiday drinks for 2024 come out?

The new holiday drinks and snacks from Starbucks came out on November 7, 2024.

Will there be holiday cups?

Yes, the Starbucks holiday menu includes some new holiday cup designs! You can peek at all the new designs for 2024 here.

What's missing from this year's rumored Starbucks holiday menu?

The Eggnog Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and Gingerbread Loaf won't be returning to cafes for 2024. We're especially sad to see the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha not included, though the official menu lineup has yet to be released!

When is Starbucks Red Cup Day 2024?

Though there's no official word out about Red Cup Day for 2024, our best guess – based on the Red Cup Days of years past – is it'll return mid-November. In 2023, Red Cup Day fell on November 16. In 2022, the coffee chain held the event on November 17. Both dates landed on the third Thursday of November, so we predict it to hit on November 21 for 2024. Red Cup Day is when Starbucks customers can get a free reusable red cup when they order a seasonal drink off the holiday menu!

Drinks On The Starbucks Holiday Menu 2024

NEW! Cran-Merry Orange Refresher

This brand-new Refresher is packed with sweet orange, tart cranberry, and warm spice. It also has cranberry inclusions and is order-able mixed with water, lemonade or coconut milk.

Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai

Chai is a totally underrated holiday flavor in our opinion. This iced drink is crafted with warm chai spices and creamy oat milk, then gets topped with even more frothed oat milk infused with gingerbread-flavored syrup and a sprinkling of spice.

Peppermint Mocha

You know it, and you love it! The Peppermint Mocha has hit Starbucks menus year after year, making it a total statement sip for the holiday season. This drink (available hot or iced) combines peppermint syrup, mocha sauce, and your milk of choice with espresso for a festive feel. It's traditionally topped with whipped cream and tasty chocolate curls.

Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Similar to the classic Peppermint Mocha, this bev swaps chocolate for white chocolate sauce.

Caramel Brûlée Latte

This Starbucks holiday menu drink is very rich. The sweet caramel brûlée sauce totally completes the sip, along with plenty of whipped cream and crunchy lil' brûlée bits for textural variety.

Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte

Literally like a sugar cookie in liquid form, this super-sweet latte is handcrafted with blonde espresso (it's sweeter and lighter than Starbucks' traditional espresso shots), sugar cookie syrup, and almond milk for a little bit of a lighter effect. It's finished off with red and green sprinkles to up the seasonal vibes even more!

Chestnut Praline Latte

This nutty latte brings on notes of chestnut and praline, which is a nice, flavorful departure from the very expected peppermint you'll see everywhere come holiday time.

Salted Pecan Crunch Cold Brew

Initially introduced for fall 2024, it appears as though the Salted Pecan Crunch Cold Brew will stay on the Starbucks menu well into winter. The salted, pecan-flavored cold foam offers that classic sweet n' salty twist you'd enjoy on fall snacks like trail mix or dipped pretzels. The best part is you can now also order the cold foam in non-dairy form!

Holiday Cold Foams

Starbs will also be bringing back four beloved holiday-flavored cold foamsand two new options for 2024. They're the perfect drink customization to add to your iced coffees and cold brews if you don't want to order an all-out holiday drink. See all the flavors below:

• NEW! Gingerbread
• NEW! Salted Pecan
• Peppermint Chocolate
• Sugar Cookie
• Chestnut Praline
• Caramel Brûlée

Snacks On The Starbucks Holiday Menu 2024

NEW! Dark Toffee Bundt

This sweet toffee-flavored bundt is topped with holly- and berry-shaped sprinkles. How perfect for the holiday season!

NEW! Turkey Sage Danish

This savory snack reportedly includes "turkey sausage with creamy béchamel sauce in a pastry." It sounds like Thanksgiving in a single treat, and we can't wait to try it!

NEW! Penguin Cookie

This cutie sugar cookie is decorated like a lil' penguin bundled up for the cold.

Snowman Cake Pop

Starbucks' classic vanilla cake pop gets a wintry twist with an adorable snowman face – this sweet really makes us crave the holiday season!

Sugar Plum Cheese Danish

This cream cheese-filled danish is topped with a slightly-spiced sugar plum jam. It's been one of our go-to's over the past few holiday seasons at Starbucks!

Cranberry Bliss Bar

The Cranberry Bliss Bar has become an absolute staple on the Starbucks holiday menu, and for good reason! This blondie treat is smothered in a delicious cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with orange zest and dried cranberries for added seasonal enjoyment.

What People Are Saying About The Leaked Starbucks Holiday Menu

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Famed foodie account @markie_devo was the first to leak the Starbucks holiday menu earlier this year. Though most commenters on @markie_devo's Starbucks holiday menu leak post seemed to be excited for the upcoming rumored menu items, some Starbs fans noticed a few things missing from the leaked lineup.

"Still missing eggnog 😢," someone noted.

"Where is the toasted white chocolate mocha 😢😢😢😢," another questioned.

"ALLLLLL these cold foams, and not the one people want: Irish Cream," one more commenter said.

"Ugh still no gingerbread loaf 😭," a disappointed user wrote. "Everything else looks bomb though!"

Despite the Eggnog Latte, Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Irish Cream Cold Brew, and Gingerbread loaf not being part of this year's menu predictions, the holiday season is our favorite time of year at Starbucks. Many more users shared the same sentiment:

"So excited for all chestnut praline shaken espressos & cranberry bliss bars 🎄🎄🎄🎄," someone wrote.

"Oh hell yess all the chestnut praline offerings," another rejoiced.