For the first time in its history, Netflix is bringing a series finale to the big screen. The climactic, two-hour final episode of “Stranger Things,” titled “The Rightside Up,” will premiere simultaneously on the streaming platform and in over 350 movie theaters across the U.S.
The theatrical release fulfills a long-standing wish of the series’ creators, Matt and Ross Duffer. The two have expressed a strong desire for fans to experience the conclusion together on the biggest screen possible.
“People don’t get to experience how much time and effort is spent on sound and picture, and they’re seeing it at reduced quality,” Matt Duffer noted in a recent Variety cover story. Ross Duffer added that a theatrical premiere would be “incredible,” allowing fans to “experience it as a communal thing.”
The final season is set up to be the most intense chapter yet. The official synopsis for the fifth season paints a grim picture of Hawkins:
“Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and a single goal unites our heroes: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. The government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve seen before. To end this nightmare, they will have to stand together, one last time.”
The main cast is returning for their ultimate confrontation, including Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke, with Jamie Campbell Bower starring as the chilling villain, Vecna.
While Netflix’s core business remains streaming, the company has increasingly embraced theatrical exhibition for special events and awards-contending films. This year alone, the streamer’s awards hopefuls like Frankenstein and Jay Kelly received limited theatrical runs. Furthermore, their hit animated feature, KPop Demon Hunters, enjoyed a special sing-along theatrical release and is set to return to major chains (AMC, Regal, Cinemark) for Halloween weekend.
The decision to give the “Stranger Things” finale a simultaneous theatrical release marks a significant step, signaling a new era for how Netflix balances streaming exclusivity with the power of the communal cinema experience.
Even as the main series concludes, the “Stranger Things” universe is already growing. While a live-action spinoff is on the back burner until the Duffer Brothers finish their current work, the animated offshoot, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, is in development. Showrunner Eric Robles aims to capture the “throwback” spirit of 1980s cartoons based on movies like Ghostbusters, continuing the franchise’s dedication to retro nostalgia.
The unprecedented theatrical event kicks off on New Year’s Eve, December 31, starting at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, and will play through January 1, 2026. Don’t feel like going out? The finale will stream on Netflix the same day.
Schedule:
