While the story seemed to end with Season 5, Netflix announced a one-off behind-the-scenes documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, set to release on January 12, 2026. However, viewers quickly noticed that two major stars, Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers) and David Harbour (Jim Hopper), do not appear in the trailer or initial promotional content.The documentary provides a personal insight into the making of the final season, including emotional moments with the cast, creative frustrations, and a lot of nostalgia. However, stars David Harbour and Winona Ryder did not find the time to participate with the rest of the members in the documentary for one last crawl.Why are Winona Ryder and David Harbour not in the new documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5? View this post on Instagram Instagram PostWinona Ryder and David Harbour do not appear in the Stranger Things documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5. Their absence is not due to any aversion toward the show or its behind-the-scenes story. The reason is simpler: scheduling conflicts and other commitments.Martina Radwan, the director of the documentary, recently commented on Winona Ryder and David Harbour’s absence from the project, saying:"We just didn’t get the time. They were busy with other projects, and so we didn’t have the time to sit down."Mostly, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 focuses on the production of Season 5, referring to behind-the-scenes footage and comprehensive interviews. Actors had to attend on a regular basis to be featured appropriately during the documentary shoots.Ryder and Harbour were busy with post-production, press, and personal work, preventing them from participating in key portions of the documentary. Since the project required consistent involvement, their limited availability made it difficult to feature them.Creative choices and narrative focus View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe other significant element of the story is what the documentary is actually attempting to communicate. Winona Ryder and David Harbour played major roles in Stranger Things and contributed significantly to shape the story's emotional core. One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 concentrates more on the group experience. It highlights the way Season 5 was created as a team.The filmmakers probably featured cast members who were readily accessible and available during filming and behind-the-scenes activities. This does not diminish the importance of Ryder or Harbour but only shows the angle that the documentary took. Documentaries rely on the best footage and available voices, which can mean even major stars step aside. This is not due to their importance, but because other perspectives better fit the story or schedules do not align.Fan interpretations vs. official realityIt’s hard for fans to ignore the fact that Winona Ryder and David Harbour are barely present in the promotional videos for One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5. But even though Joyce and Hopper are not seen much in the early promo clips, it does not necessarily imply that they have not been a central part of the series. In film and TV, busy schedules often make it difficult for actors to be available for every interview or extra shoot. This could certainly explain why Ryder and Harbour are absent from the documentary.For more such insights on One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, keep following SoapCentral.