Netflix’s marketing for the final season of Stranger Things has taken an unusually immersive turn. In the first episode of Season 5, a “missing teen” poster appears, announcing that Jane Hopper — alias for the show’s central character Eleven — is missing. The poster shows a photo of her, the date of disappearance as June 13, 1986, and a contact number for the public: 765-303-2020.
What sets this apart is that the number is reportedly active. Viewers who dialled it heard a pre-recorded message purportedly from the fictional Hawkins Police Department. The message warns that the town of Hawkins is under lockdown following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake and urges callers to help locate Jane Hopper, identifying her disappearance as a priority. The voicemail ends abruptly after the plea.
The return of this number is part of a larger teaser campaign suggesting that Jane’s vanishing is not simply a plot device but intended as a story event with real-world engagement. The poster also includes a reward for information and raises questions about who is truly behind the search for her — the official authorities, a task force, or something darker. Netflix captioned the poster with the cryptic question: “Who’s really looking for Jane Hopper?”
Within the universe of Stranger Things, the poster implies that in the world of the show, Eleven has disappeared, and Hawkins is under strict emergency control. The presence of a working phone number provides a tangible link between the fictional story and the real world, creating a sense of urgency and intrigue around the character’s fate.
Among fans and media the response has been a mixture of excitement and unease. Some have praised the creative marketing — calling it an inventive example of immersive storytelling that blurs fiction and reality. Others have cautioned that the realistic presentation of a “missing person” poster could be triggering or distressing for viewers, especially those sensitive to real-life disappearances or trauma.
As Season 5 unfolds, the poster and phone number represent more than just hype. They establish a new layer of narrative participation, inviting viewers to engage actively. For many longtime watchers of the show, the reappearance of Eleven as Jane Hopper — now “missing” — suggests that the final season will begin with mystery, urgency, and perhaps darker stakes than previous arcs.
Whether the phone-line Easter egg proves to be more than a marketing gimmick remains to be seen. For the moment, it stands as a bold move that ties a beloved fictional world to the real life of fans — and raises the unsettling question behind Netflix’s message: Who is really looking for Jane Hopper?