Stranger Things Finale Gets Simultaneous Theatrical Release

Netflix will screen the two-hour series finale of Stranger Things Season 5, titled "The Rightside Up," simultaneously on Netflix and in more than 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada beginning Dec. 31, 2025 at 5 PM PT (8 PM ET), with theatrical screenings continuing through Jan. 1, 2026 — marking the first time a Netflix series episode is receiving a same-time cinematic release. The final season will roll out in three event drops — Volume 1 on Nov. 26, Volume 2 on Dec. 25, and the finale on Dec. 31 — each timed to stream globally at 5 PM PT/8 PM ET. Season 5 will consist of eight episodes with variable, often cinematic runtimes. Showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer pushed for a theatrical window to showcase the finale’s sound, picture and communal viewing experience, and Netflix has softened its prior reluctance after experimenting with limited theatrical events. The season reunites Millie Bobby Brown, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink and Gaten Matarazzo and adds Linda Hamilton and Amybeth McNulty, and specific theater locations and ticketing details will be announced closer to release.