Stranger Things will close out its run with a theatrical component: Netflix confirmed the two-hour series finale will play simultaneously on the streamer and in more than 350 movie theaters across the United States and Canada.
The finale — titled “The Rightside Up” — is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on December 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. PT / 8:00 p.m. ET. The same cut will screen in cinemas through January 1, 2026, giving fans a very brief theatrical window. Stranger Things Season 5 begins its rollout on November 26, 2025, when Volume 1 — comprising four episodes — becomes available on Netflix.
Netflix said it will reveal participating theaters and screening locations at a later date.
The streamer’s reversal comes after recent comments from Netflix’s chief creative officer, Bela Bajaria, who had suggested a traditional theatrical rollout wasn’t necessary given the show’s vast presence on the platform and its strong fan community. Those remarks had seemed to dampen expectations for a cinema release.
Showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer praised the plan, saying they’re thrilled fans will have the opportunity to see the final episode on the big screen. They thanked Netflix leadership — including Ted and Bela — for making the event possible, and described the communal theater experience (with immersive sound and projection) as an ideal way to mark the end of the series.
Netflix’s decision follows the successful theater engagement for KPop Demon Hunters, which earned an encore, sing-along-style run in cinemas around Halloween.
Source: Polygon
