Winona Ryder Had A Major Condition To Join Netflix's Stranger Things

Winona Ryder took a major leap of faith when she first signed on to join the cast of "Stranger Things" a decade ago. Given the script for the show's pilot episode by creators Matt and Ross Duffer, the star actress had her doubts. A growing platform with less than a third of its current subscriber list, Netflix presented several risks for the longtime star. One major question was how her role as Joyce Byers, the determined matriarch at the head of Stranger Things' band of teenagers, would conflict with Ryder's return to one of her most beloved characters, Lydia Deetz in "Beetlejuice." According to an interview the former childhood star gave to Harper's BAZAAR, the only caveat Ryder gave to the Duffer brothers before joining the "Stranger Things" cast was simple: they had to leave room for a "Beetlejuice" sequel should one arise. Incredibly, Ryder would get the best of both worlds, reprising her beloved character 36 years later in Tim Burton's 2024 box office smash hit "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" while starring in the hit show for over a decade.

When Stranger Things' latest season hit Netflix in November 2025, it kicked off one of the most highly anticipated final seasons in the streamer's history. With eight episodes released across three volumes, the show is a master class in maximizing fan excitement. Attracting 59.6 million viewers in its first week — and causing the streamer to briefly crash on its record-breaking opening day– fans were eager to see what the Duffer brothers had cooked up after three and a half year hiatus. Replete with big budgets, heart-stopping cliff hangers, and an unignorably older cast, the show has garnered mostly positive reviews thus far, with fans highly anticipating its next two installments.

Few actresses have had as storied a career as Winona Ryder, who snagged her role in the streaming sensation roughly 30 years after her film debut. Despite her historic career, in which she's played everything from scream queens to romantic leads, the actress said in an interview with Harper's BAZAAR that the show's prolonged length constituted a career first. "I am literally on my 10th year playing her," said the actress of her role as Joyce Byers, "It's an absolute first for me to play a character for that long." What few fans may not realize, however, is how big the would-be sensation was at the time she signed on. According to Ryder, "It was huge to say yes to just one episode ... they only gave me the pilot episode. I didn't at the time know what streaming was. It was terrifying in that regard." 

One of the biggest questions was whether the streaming hit would stand in the way of Ryder returning as Lydia Deetz. As Ryder said in the aforementioned 2024 interview, "At the time, Tim [Burton] and I were talking about the 'Beetlejuice' sequel. There have been moments over the last 15 years where we thought it was going to happen, but that's the thing ... it had to be perfect with everybody in order for it to happen. I remember at my first meeting with the Duffer Bros. I said, 'As long as if "Beetlejuice 2″ happens you'll let me go do that.' They agreed. Luckily it worked out. That was my one condition." Fortunately for Ryder-stans, the filming schedules of the star's two roles never conflicted. In fact, Ryder filmed "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" while "Stranger Things" was on a filming break, allowing her to return to the most anticipated shows of 2025.

Released in 2024, the film grossed over $450 million at the global box office, sparking speculation that the juice might get loose for a third installment. In April 2025, Warner Bros Pictures head Mike De Luca told Deadline that the studio was "imminently" developing a follow-up to the sequel. Although the news reportedly came as a surprise to director Tim Burton, the director joked to The Hollywood Reporter that the studio will need to reduce the 36-year gap this time around, noting,  "Well, if [the same] time frame goes on, I'll be about 100. So maybe. I doubt it." Whether Lydia Deetz will be at the center of the installment, or if the franchise will shift its gaze towards Jenna Ortega, who plays Ryder's daughter in the second film, remains to be seen.

Fans of Ryder's Stranger Things faced a similarly agonizing, though less prolonged, wait to discover the fate of their favorite paranormal-attuned teens. When Netflix released the first four episodes on November 26, 2025, it was the most streamed English-language event in the company's history, falling just behind Squid Games' controversial third season. Reviews have been mostly positive, although critics have noted that the show, and its actors, are beginning to grow out of its format of teen hijinks. But with longer run times, gargantuan budgets, and a litany of thrilling set pieces, fans will be on the edge of their seats as they anticipate the grand finale. With the next three episodes dropping on Christmas, and a grand New Year's Eve finale, Netflix hopes to send off its ten-year phenomenon with a bang.