The final episode of Stranger Things is so big it’s headed to movie theaters as well as streaming.
Netflix announced today that the final episode of their hugely popular sci-fi series would screen in more than 350 theaters around the U.S. and Canada “starting on December 31, 2025 at 5:00pm PT, timed to the finale’s global premiere on Netflix, and run through January 1, 2026.” (In other words, if you don’t want to watch the episodes in theaters, they will be streaming on Netflix at the exact same time.)
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Stranger Things creators the Duffer brothers gave this comment about the news:
We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters — it’s something we’ve dreamed about for years, and we’re so grateful to Ted, Bela, and everyone at Netflix for making it happen. Getting to see it on the big screen, with incredible sound, picture, and a room full of fans, feels like the perfect — dare we say bitchin’ — way to celebrate the end of this adventure.
The news of Stranger Things headed to theaters comes on the heels of Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters having a hugely successful limited run in theaters around the country in a sing-along version. Despite the fact that the film had already been streaming on Netflix for weeks, the sing-along Kpop Demon Hunters grossed $18 million in theaters. (Netflix is now planning a second run in theaters with the sing-along version.) But Stranger Things is an even more unusual proposition for theaters because this is an episode of a TV show, not a film. (That said, the finale of Stranger Things is expected to be as long as any feature-length movie that plays in theaters.)
For years, Netflix has insisted it made movies and television for streaming, not for movie theaters. Its films only played very small runs in theaters, often just to qualify for awards like the Oscars. But it appears that events like the Kpop Demon Hunters phenomenon have started to change their thinking about that.
