Stranger Things Season 5 brings acclaimed Walking Dead showrunner out of retirement

Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont is reportedly returning to TV to direct episodes of Stranger Things’ fifth and final season.

Well known for helming Stephen King adaptations like Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, Frank Darabont also played a pivotal role in the development of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

He served as showrunner for the show’s six-episode pilot season but was fired because of alleged budgetary issues ahead of Season 2. Darabont and the Creative Artists Agency filed a lawsuit against the network in 2013, seeking around $300 million in profit participation payouts. Shortly before Darabont and AMC settled the suit in 2021, the former announced his retirement.

However, Stranger Things Season 5 will reportedly bring the Oscar-nominated writer and director back into the fold. This is according to The InSneider‘s Jeff Sneider (via Reel Updates), who claims Darabont is leaving retirement to helm two episodes of Stranger Things’ final season.

Reports about Darabont’s potential attachment to the Netflix series initially surfaced late in 2023, thanks to another InSneider report claiming talks were underway.

This latest development suggests The Green Mile director is indeed on board. Yet, neither Darabont nor anyone from Netflix’s camp has officially confirmed the news.

Following a lengthy delay due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, production of Stranger Things’ fifth season began in January 2024. Netflix has yet to share a premiere date for the next batch of episodes, though they’re not expected to hit the streaming platform until sometime in 2025.