Stranger Things Series Finale to Be Screened in Movie Theaters

Stranger Things will end its five-season journey on Netflix and in theaters.

As previously reported with the teaser trailer, Stranger Things Season 5 will roll out in three volumes this fall: four episodes on Wednesday, November 26, three episodes on Christmas, and the series finale on New Year’s Eve. Every volume releases at 5 p.m. PST.

Netflix’s TUDUM has confirmed that limited theatrical screenings of the final episode will also happen in more than 350 theaters in the US and Canada. The showings will begin on Wednesday, December 31, at 5 p.m. PT.

That way, the theatrical viewings will coincide with the finale’s global premiere on Netflix and run through Thursday, January 1, 2026. 

Notably, details about theater locations and attendance information remain unknown. TV Line reports that they will be announced later this year.

“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,” series creators Matt and Ross Duffer said in a statement.

“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,” they continued.

The Duffer Brothers expressed interest in a theatrical release of Stranger Things‘ final episode just earlier this month in their cover story interview with Variety.

Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, had a different opinion. “A lot of people — a lot, a lot, a lot of people — have watched Stranger Things on Netflix. It has not suffered from lack of conversation or community or sharing or fandom. I think releasing it on Netflix is giving the fans what they want,” Bajaria said.

Variety reports that the Instagram post of the cover story reflected the show’s fans’ interest in a theatrical release. Now, only a couple of weeks later, it’s official. 

The Duffer Brothers executive produce the show alongside Shawn Levy of 21 Laps Entertainment and Dan Cohen.

Stranger Things Season 5, which began production in January 2024, picks up in the fall of 1987. The season’s synopsis continues as follows:

“Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.”

The fifth and final season stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, and Jamie Campbell Bower.

The season also stars Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler, Amybeth McNulty as Vickie, Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow, Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers, and Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay. Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment produce.

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Stranger Things Season 5 begins on Wednesday, November 26, at 5 p.m. PDT on Netflix.

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