More than nine years after its 2016 debut, Stranger Things is preparing to return for its fifth and final season on Netflix.
The show’s fourth season, which had its premiere in 2022 after a three-year break, became one of Netflix’s biggest hits, racking up more than 286 million hours viewed in its opening weekend, surpassing Bridgerton season two’s 193 million.
The sci-fi series has not only redefined nostalgia-driven storytelling, but also opened its cast to global fame. As the show draws to a close, we look at what its young stars have been up to beyond Stranger Things.
Millie Bobby Brown
Brown was just 12 when she was cast for the show, playing the mysterious Eleven, in a role that she’s often called “life-changing”.
“At the premiere, everybody was like: 'The show is really good'. And I was like: 'I don't know what you're talking about, this is just a little show in Atlanta, Georgia.' And then three days later my whole life changed,” she told W Magazine in 2017.
Since Stranger Things was broadcast in 2016, Brown, 21, has become one of Netflix’s biggest stars. She’s produced and starred in Enola Holmes (2020), Enola Holmes 2 (2022) and the fantasy adventure Damsel (2024). She’s set to return for Enola Holmes 3, currently in development.
Beyond acting, Brown published her debut novel Nineteen Steps in 2023 and continues to expand her cosmetics and fashion line, Florence by Mills. She married Jake Bongiovi, son of musician Jon Bon Jovi, in 2024, and the couple have adopted a baby girl.
Finn Wolfhard
The Canadian actor plays Mike Wheeler, the leader of The Party, originally a close-knit group of friends including Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair and Dustin Henderson. It has since gone on to include Eleven and Max Mayfield.
Wolfhard, 22, has described in the past how he almost gave up on acting before landing the gig and that no one knew just how big the show would go on to be.
“We just thought we were filming this secret thing that no one knew about,” he said in an interview with The Guardian in 2020. “Which we were. No one knew what we were doing. Netflix were kind of hands-off. We thought maybe it would become a cult classic, and we’ll come back to it in 30 years and be really proud of doing it. And then it just blew up. Overnight.”
Since then, Wolfhard has starred in The Turning (2020), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). He's also gone behind the camera, making his directorial debut with the comedic short film Night Shifts (2020) and later co-directing the horror-comedy feature Hell of a Summer (2023).
In addition to acting and filmmaking, Wolfhard released his debut solo album Happy Birthday in June, marking a new chapter in his growing music career.
Noah Schnapp
Playing Will Byers, who goes missing in the first season, Schnapp, 21, has had a bigger role in the series as it has gone on. Like his castmates, he wasn’t sure whether there would be more than one season.
“When they were casting me, they told me that even though I’m not around a lot for season one, I’d be a major part of a second season – if they got to do it. So, I felt good knowing I had something to look forward to. But, definitely throughout season one, it sucked because I never got to go to any of the press or anything,” Schnapp told The Hollywood Reporter in February 2020.
“At first, I was like: ‘I shouldn’t even worry about this. There’s not going to be a season two’. Then all of a sudden, everything happened so quickly. My life changed in a matter of days. I’ve never been more grateful for anything.”
Since his role in Stranger Things, Schnapp has launched a sustainability-focused snacking company called To Be Honest and appeared in the mystery thriller The Tutor (2023). That same year, he was embroiled in controversy after a video circulated on social media showing his pro-Zionism support for Israel in the midst of the Israel-Gaza War.
Gaten Matarazzo
Although Matarazzo, 23, started his career on Broadway with parts in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Miserables, the role of Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things marks his big break.
“I love playing this part so much. It's the best thing I've ever gotten to do with my life. And to do it for so long, with such an amazing group of people is a blessing,” Matarazzo told ETimes in May 2022.
“It’s the greatest pleasure and I'm always excited because they always take such care with their characters. Every season they want to give every one a reason to move forward and to be a part of the show.”
Since then, Matarazzo has hosted the Netflix show Prank Encounters (2019-2021), while also doing work on Broadway, joining the final cast of the musical Dear Evan Hansen and taking on a role in Sweeney Todd alongside Josh Groban (2023). Earlier this year, he voiced Lucky the pig in the animated film Animal Farm, adapted from the 1945 George Orwell novel of the same name.
Caleb McLaughlin
McLaughlin plays Lucas Sinclair, another member of The Party. Although he’s been acting since he was a child, with roles such as Young Simba on Broadway, his part in Stranger Things is regarded as his breakthrough.
Unlike his castmates, McLaughlin says he always believed the Netflix Original had the potential to be something special.
“I always knew Stranger Things was going to be great. I knew that it would move the needle and a lot of people would love it,” he told Teen Vogue in March 2022.
Since his breakout role, McLaughlin, 23, has appeared in Concrete Cowboy (2020), Shooting Stars (2023), and The Deliverance (2024). He’ll next be seen in the 2026 animated sports comedy film Goat, where he stars in the title role.
Sadie Sink
Joining the cast in the second season, Sink plays Max Mayfield, who moves to Hawkins, Indiana, with her family, including her older stepbrother Billy.
“When the show was announced, I was 14 and all the attention kind of scared me off,” she told Glamour in May 2022. “Things around me started changing, but I never changed. I’d be flying to LA for the Golden Globes one day and then be right back at home with my mom telling me to take the trash out the next.”
Although Sink, 23, has been acting since 2011, she rose to wider fame after starring as the female lead in Taylor Swift’s All Too Well music video and as Ziggy Berman in the Fear Street film trilogy. She went on to earn critical acclaim for her performance in The Whale (2022) alongside Brendan Fraser, and most recently appeared in the musical drama O’Dessa (2025).
This year, Sink returned to Broadway in John Proctor Is the Villain, continuing to balance major film roles with her growing stage career.
Natalia Dyer
Dyer’s first screen role was as Clarissa Granger in 2009’s Hannah Montana: The Movie but these days she is known for playing Nancy Wheeler, Mike’s older sister, on Stranger Things. After the first season, she described to Teen Vogue in 2016 how her life had changed.
“I worry about the internet sometimes and all of that attention. You never get used to it. It was very much an overnight kind of thing,” she said. “One day, you're walking down the street and you're just you. And then the next day, after Stranger Things comes out, it was like, ‘Oh, you're Nancy.’ I don't know if you ever get used to that really, being recognised, being known by strangers, but it's cool.”
Following her success on Stranger Things, Dyer, 30, has appeared in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), Yes, God, Yes (2019), and the horror-thriller All Fun and Games (2023). She continues to choose smaller, character-driven projects and remains one of Stranger Things' most private cast members.
Joe Keery
Keery, who plays bad boy-turned-hero Steve Harrington, originally auditioned for the role of Jonathan Byers.
“I didn’t hear anything for three months,” Keery, 33, told Boston.com in 2019. “And then I heard they wanted me to tape for this other character, Steve Harrington. I remember being like: ‘Oh, this guy? This guy’s a total jerk.”
Beyond the series, Keery has starred in Spree (2020) and Free Guy (2021), and he’s set to appear in the sci-fi thriller Cold Storage (2026) opposite Liam Neeson. He also continues to release music under his stage name Djo, with his third studio album, The Crux, which was released in April, accompanied by a successful world tour.
Charlie Heaton
The British actor plays Jonathan Byers, Will’s older brother and Nancy’s on-again, off-again boyfriend.
“I don’t want to say things happened easy. I wasn’t totally oblivious to what was going on. I had done acting at school, and it felt like something that came naturally to me,” he told GQ in 2020. “I had this turbulent, crazy year, and then the show came out in 2016 and it was like this overnight.”
Since joining Stranger Things, Heaton, 31, has appeared in The New Mutants (2020), No Future (2021) and As They Made Us (2022). He also starred opposite Al Pacino in the drama Billy Knight (2024), playing a young film student navigating ambition and loss.
Known for preferring low-key, independent projects, Heaton continues to work steadily in film while maintaining a long-term relationship with his Stranger Things co-star Natalia Dyer.
Maya Hawke
Hawke joined Stranger Things in its third season as Robin Buckley, Steve's witty and quick-thinking co-worker at Scoops Ahoy.
“I didn’t decide to be in Stranger Things because it was a big deal, I decided to be in Stranger Things because I love Stranger Things and the Duffer brothers,” she told Glamour in 2019. “It wasn’t a vehicle to stardom. That part of it was never interesting to me – if anything, it was overwhelming, scary and a deterrent.”
The daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, she has since carved out her own career across film, music and fashion. Since joining the show, Hawke, 27, has appeared in Do Revenge (2022), Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (2023) and the biographical drama Wildcat (2023) in which she portrayed writer Flannery O’Connor.
She also voiced the character of Anxiety in 2024's Inside Out 2. The same year, she released her third studio album, Chaos Angel, which she has been performing on tour throughout 2025. She is next set to appear in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, due for release next year.
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.
Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.
The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
