It turns out that The Upside Down is pretty expensive. In a recent report published by The Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that it cost the streaming service Netflix a whopping $30 million to make an episode of hit sci-fi series, Stranger Things season 4.
The first part of Stranger Things season 4 is set to drop on the streamer on May 27, 2022, and will see fans return to the ‘quiet’ town of Hawkins for an all-new eerie adventure. In the most recent trailer for the beloved TV series, fans saw the first glimpse at a new creepy-looking villain known as Vecna. The teaser clip also revealed the return of fan favourite A-listers Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven, and David Harbour as Hopper to the Netflix series.
With a large amount of special effects work needed, and cast payments involved in Stranger Things, it was expected that its cost would be high for its upcoming season – still, the reported financial spending on a single show for the streamer is somewhat shocking. Considering that it takes $30 million to make one episode, the entire season will cost approximately $270 million.
According to The Wall Street Journal’s sources, a studio executive that works on several Netflix series revealed that the company is trying to cut costs, and is hoping to decrease the budget of its new shows by 25%, when licensing series from other production companies. Reducing spending is sensible, considering Netflix’s share prices recently plummeted by 35%, shedding $54 billion in market capital.
In a shareholder letter, the streamer also reported that it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022. With this in mind, you have to wonder how the streamer will be able to afford its fantastical series, such as the upcoming live-action adaptation of the anime One Piece, and the live-action series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Stranger Things has already been renewed for a fifth season. Currently, it is unclear if the $30 million budget will be altered for the next instalment following Netflix’s current financial status. While we wait on updates, you can stream the first season of Stranger Things on Netflix now.