Fans of “Stranger Things” will soon have the chance to experience the end of Netflix’s blockbuster series on the big screen. Netflix announced that the series finale of “Stranger Things” will be released in more than 350 movie theaters across the U.S. and Canada beginning at 5 PM PT on December 31, the same time the episode debuts on Netflix. Screenings will continue through January 1, though details on participating theaters have not yet been revealed.
The series creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, expressed their excitement about the decision, saying they are “beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of ‘Stranger Things’ in theaters,” adding that this is “something we’ve dreamed about for years.”
The finale, titled “The Rightside Up,” will conclude the show’s fifth and final season, which will be released in three parts. The season kicks off with four episodes on November 26, followed by three more on Christmas Day, before culminating in the standalone finale on New Year’s Eve. Each batch will drop at 5 PM PT.
The fifth season marks the return of “Stranger Things” more than three years after the previous season was released.
While Netflix has previously dabbled in limited theatrical releases—mostly for awards contenders such as “The Irishman”—the decision to bring the “Stranger Things” finale to theaters represents an unusual move for the streaming giant. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has noted that the company will “routinely release movies in theaters … to qualify for awards, to meet festival requirements and to prime the publicity pump a bit.”
With “Stranger Things” being one of Netflix’s most popular series, the move to give its conclusion a cinematic sendoff underscores the show’s massive impact after being released nearly a decade ago.
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