Stranger Things superfans just got the best news: Netflix has announced that, in addition to premiering on the streamer, the series finale of the cult television series will also premiere simultaneously in theaters on December 31, marking the first time a television episode has ever premiered on theater screens.
Screenings of the final episode of Season 5 will take place in over 350 theaters across the United States and Canada, beginning at 5PM PT on December 31, continuing through January 1, 2026. This follows up on Netflix’s previous screenings for episodes of Season 4, which had a short theatrical run after the season’s premiere back in 2022, and continues Netflix’s trend of giving their original titles brief theatrical windows, including for films like Frankenstein and Wake Up Dead Man.
“We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters,” the Duffer Brothers, creators of the series, said in a statement. “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,” they said. “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.”
Stranger Things Season 5 sees the return of series staples Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Crown, Finn Wolfhard, Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, and more, as well as a new cameo appearance from ‘80s icon Linda Hamilton. The season synopsis is as follows:
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.
The first half of Stranger Things Season 5 premieres on November 26, with the next three episodes releasing on Christmas Day, and the series finale premiering on December 31, both in theaters and on Netflix.
