‘Stranger Things’ finale to premiere in movie theaters alongside Netflix release on New Year’s Eve
There’s no place like Hawkins, Ind., for the holidays. The highly anticipated series finale of Stranger Things will hit theaters on New Year’s Eve after Netflix previously rejected the idea of a theatrical release — we really must be in the Upside Down.
The streaming service announced Thursday that there will be screenings in over 350 theaters in the U.S. and Canada for fans to enjoy the two-hour-long last episode of Stranger Things, titled “The Rightside Up.” It’s apparently the first time an episode of the streaming service is being shown in theaters, according to Variety. The screenings will start on Dec. 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT — timed to the finale’s global premiere on Netflix — and will run through Jan. 1, 2026.
“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,” show creators Matt and Ross Duffer told Netflix, according to a press release. “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.”
Netflix said in a press release that it would announce more information on how fans can attend the theater screenings, as well as specific locations, later this year.
The span of the Stranger Things final season will be released on Netflix across three premiere dates, which coincide with the holidays. Fans can check here for worldwide release times.
- Nov. 26: Volume 1, episodes 501-504
- Dec. 26: Volume 2, episodes 505-507
- Dec. 31: Finale, episode 508
Here’s the official synopsis of the fifth and final season of Stranger Things: “The fall of 1987. 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.”
