Stranger Things Pulled Off What George R R Martin Couldn’t, Shawn Levy Says
Stranger Things is gearing up for its last stand, and executive producer-director Shawn Levy says the Duffer Brothers have stuck the landing — after watching the finished Season 5 finale, he’s calling it a full-on masterpiece.
Shawn Levy says Stranger Things is going out on a high, and not in the vague PR way. He has seen the finished series finale and is calling it a full-on masterpiece. Bold, sure. But coming from the guy who has been in the trenches with the Duffers since Season 1, it lands differently.
Levy watched the final cut. His verdict: 10/10.
Talking to Collider's Steve Weintraub, the executive producer and director did not hold back on the superlatives for Matt and Ross Duffer. He says the ending sticks the landing and then some, and that it genuinely got to him on a personal level.
"Having watched the final version of the final episode of the final season of Stranger Things, it is a masterpiece. The Duffers have stuck that landing. So 10 out of 10 perfect... it wrecked me."
Levy also gets why people are skeptical. We have all been burned by big TV endings that went sideways. He even brought up how brutal it is when a show you invest years in fumbles at the end by going off-tone or betraying the thing that made you love it. He says that is not what this is. Finn Wolfhard has been saying the same in interviews, telling TIME the finale is not a Game of Thrones situation.
Yes, the finale is going to theaters. Levy thinks it earns it.
Netflix is doing something you almost never see: a limited theatrical run for a series finale. Levy, who just came off Deadpool & Wolverine, says that choice makes sense because the episode deserves the big-screen treatment. He called it a rare and beautiful move, and not just a stunt. The episode is reportedly over two hours long, so think feature-length and then some.
Logistics-wise, it is a bit unusual: the finale will screen in more than 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada starting December 31 at exactly 5 PM PT, with showings running through January 1, 2026. Netflix will drop the episode at the same time the screenings begin, so you can either camp out at a cinema or hit play at home.
How Stranger Things changed Levy's career
Levy has been the Duffers' closest collaborator since the early days. Traditionally, he has taken Episodes 3 and 4 each season. This time around, he did not direct his usual pair, but he did team up with Matt and Ross to direct the penultimate episode of the final season.
He also explained how the show rewired him as a filmmaker. As a producer on films like The Spectacular Now and Arrival, his philosophy was simple: support the director, get out of the way, and be ready when needed. Back in Season 1, he only offered to direct Episodes 3 and 4 so the brothers could finish writing. That was supposed to be a practical fix. Instead, it opened a door. He realized how satisfying it was to stretch into different kinds of material. He even admits he never would have gone near anything horror-adjacent if Stranger Things had not nudged him there.
Release plan and key dates
- Nov 26, 2025: First four episodes drop on Netflix
- Dec 25, 2025: Three more episodes arrive
- Dec 31, 2025: Series finale hits Netflix and limited theaters simultaneously
- Finale theatrical window: More than 350 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, starting Dec 31 at 5 PM PT and running through Jan 1, 2026
- Finale runtime: Over two hours
If Levy is right and the Duffers really did nail it, then the theatrical send-off suddenly feels less like a gimmick and more like victory lap energy. We are about to find out.