Frank Darabont, the director of The Shawshank Redemption (1994), came out of his over a decade-long retirement to helm multiple episodes of Stranger Things Season 5. Recently, he detailed why the globally popular Netflix series prompted him to return to the director’s chair.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things can’t come soon enough! After production was impacted by the writers and actors' Strike in 2023, it was confirmed this past January that filming for Season 5 had begun.

The Shawshank Redemption” filmmaker Frank Darabont ended an 11-year retirement from directing when the opportunity to helm two episodes of “Stranger Things 5” presented itself. Why? He recently told The Daily Beast that it’s the blockbuster Netflix series’ heart that convinced him it was time to step out of retirement and direct again.