U.S. — As a result of lengthy production delays, the child actors of the popular Netflix show Stranger Things have aged out of their roles, and the show has been forced to pivot, moving its setting from the suburban neighborhood and school yards of Hawkins, Indiana, to a haunted nursing home.

The principal child actors, who were between the ages of 11 and 14 years when the show began, were determined to now be more age-appropriate to play residents of an elder care facility.

"My arthritis makes riding a bike more difficult," said Noah Schnapp, who plays Will Byers.

The spooky nursing home was said to be the most terrifying location in the series thus far, given that it's full of old people. "The air is just thicker in Hawkins Senior Care Center," said Matt Duffer, who runs the show with colleague Ross Duffer. "Death is around every corner, both due to the supernatural nature of the story and because several extras died while on set."

It's not unusual for a production to pivot its story due to external circumstances, but Stranger Things is the first such production designed around child actors who aged out of puberty and into senior citizenship during production, creating significant challenges.

"Season 5 was supposed to take place at Hawkins High," Ross Duffer said in an interview with Variety. "But half the cast can't climb the steps to the front door anymore. At least not without the help of a cane.

At publishing time, Netflix announced that all actors would receive an "in loving memory" credit at the end credits due to the likelihood that they will all die of old age by the time the final season is released.

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