Stranger Things Finale Is Hitting Theaters — But Only in Select Cities
Netflix is giving Stranger Things a big-screen sendoff, rolling the Season 5 series finale into more than 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada for limited screenings as the record-breaking saga reaches its end.
Netflix is sending the Stranger Things finale to the big screen. Yep, the last episode of the record-breaking series will play in limited theatrical screenings across North America while it debuts on Netflix at the exact same time. It is a two-night event in over 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, and then the show is done for good.
When and how this is happening
- Two-day theatrical event: December 31 and January 1, 2026, in 350+ theaters across the U.S. and Canada.
- The December 31 screening lines up with the Netflix drop: 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
- Season 5 rolls out on Netflix in three parts: Volume 1 on November 26 (four episodes), Volume 2 on Christmas (three episodes), and then the series finale on New Year’s Eve, all at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
"We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters... 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," creators Matt and Ross Duffer said, thanking Ted, Bela, and the Netflix team via Tudum.
So what are we in for story-wise?
The final season is set in the fall of 1987, with Hawkins still torn up after the Rifts blew the place open. The mission is simple on paper and awful in practice: find Vecna and end him. Problem: he has vanished, nobody knows what he is planning, and the government has locked the town down under military quarantine. They are also ramping up the hunt for Eleven, which pushes her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance creeps up, the same old dread returns, and the last fight looms. The stakes are bigger and nastier than anything the group has faced, and the only way through it is the whole party, together, one last time.
Cast: who is back and who is new
Season 5 brings back Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Charlie Heaton, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, and Brett Gelman. From last season, Jamie Campbell Bower returns as Vecna/One/Henry Creel, along with Amybeth McNulty as Vickie. New faces include Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay, Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler, Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow, and Alex Breaux as Lt. Akers.
A couple quick takeaways
Limited is the keyword here. Over 350 theaters is a decent footprint, but it is not a typical wide release. Also unusual: Netflix is letting fans watch the finale on the big screen at the same moment it hits streaming. If you want the communal, shout-at-the-screen version of the goodbye, New Year’s Eve is your shot. If not, the couch works just fine at the exact same time.