‘The Shawshank Redemption’ director comes out of retirement to direct ‘Stranger Things 5’

Frank Darabont, the director of "The Shawshank Redemption", came out of an 11-year directing hiatus when he was offered the chance to direct two episodes of "Stranger Things" Season 5. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, he revealed that it was the emotional core of the blockbuster Netflix series that inspired him to return to directing.

Darabont explained, "What really dragged me out of retirement was that my wife and I really love this show. Our content now is so filled with horrible people doing horrible things for greedy reasons but 'Stranger Things' has so much heart. That positivity is something I really responded to."

Darabont's most recent directing credit was for episodes of the short-lived TNT drama "Mob City" in 2013. He hasn't directed a film since adapting Stephen King's horror story, "The Mist", in 2007. His notable directorial works also include "The Green Mile" and "The Walking Dead".

When asked whether "Stranger Things" 5 might open the door for more directing opportunities, Darabont replied, "Who knows? While I haven't missed the industry, I have missed collaborating with creative individuals on set. It could be a one-time thing, but there's still time to decide."

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"Stranger Things" Season 5 has been in production this year in Atlanta, with a projected release on Netflix in 2025. This fifth season will mark the conclusion of the series. 

In an interview with Total Film magazine last year, executive producer and director Shawn Levy mentioned that Season 5 will significantly increase the scale of the already massive Season 4, which featured two episodes that were approximately 90 minutes long and considered feature-length.