You’ve still got a long wait ahead, but Netflix has announced premiere dates for two eagerly anticipated events: a new crime thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and the final season of “Stranger Things.”
At the company’s big Tudum fan event, Netflix released updates about a variety of programs, including details on the new Damon/Affleck project. “The RIP” will come out on Jan. 16, officially, and the story is about some Miami police detectives who discover millions of dollars in cash at a derelict house. The film costars Teyana Taylor, Steven Yeun, and Catalina Sandino Moreno and was written and directed by Joe Carnahan (“The Blacklist,” “Smokin’ Aces”).
Damon and Affleck seem to be adjusting to working with Netflix — they even filmed a promo with Cookie Monster, now that “Sesame Street” has found a home at the streamer.
Meanwhile, the final season of “Stranger Things” comes out in three installments, starting with four episodes on Nov. 26 (that’s the day before Thanksgiving, in case you were wondering), followed by three episodes on Christmas, and a finale that will pop up on New Year’s Eve. Each episode drops at 8 p.m., so prepare accordingly.
You can also expect a time jump — given the relentless march of time and the young cast, it was no longer exactly believable that any of these folks were pre-teens. Season 5 will begin a year after the events of season 4. The streamer has also released the names of every episodes in the final season. Those are: “The Crawl,” “The Vanishing of…,” “The Turnbow Trap,” “Sorcerer,” “Shock Jock,” “Escape from Camazotz,” “The Bridge,” and “The Rightside Up.”
The series, created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, first premiered in 2016. The show was a deliberate homage to ‘80s movies, with its suburban setting and latchkey kids getting into trouble while simultaneously juggling the challenges of school and puberty.
Its world has slowly expanded over the years, although in some ways it sounds like they’re getting back to their core storytelling in the final season: Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has gone into hiding, and everyone is anxious at the approaching anniversary of Will’s (Noah Schnapp) abduction. Expect the usual ‘80s haircuts and clothing choices, and let’s continue to be grateful that the show has brought about a bit of a Winona Ryder renaissance.
Lisa Weidenfeld is an arts editor at the Globe.
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