PSA: The Stranger Things 2-Hour Series Finale Will Release In Theaters
Don’t worry; it’ll premiere on streaming too — but the Upside Down is officially coming to the big screen.
Whatever your plans are for New Year’s Eve, you’re going to want to carve out a few hours for this: Netflix just confirmed that the long-awaited two-hour series finale of Stranger Things, titled “The Rightside Up,” will premiere on Netflix (per the norm) and in movie theaters (*not* the norm) on Dec. 31 — marking Netflix’s first-ever simultaneous theatrical and TV release.
The finale will hit both theaters and the streamer starting at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET and play in more than 350 theaters across the U.S. through Jan. 1, 2026. So, you’ll get to ring in the new year with one final visit to Hawkins to see how things ultimately shake out for Eleven and the gang.
While Netflix has released original films in theaters before, this will be the first series episode to receive a theatrical rollout. And, honestly, the announcement feels like the culmination of years of speculation and wishful thinking from fans and the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer.
“We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement. “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.”
The announcement also arrives as the Duffer Brothers prepare to transition to Paramount as part of a new four-year deal that will allow them to make feature films once their Netflix contract ends. Still, they’ll reportedly continue to collaborate on Stranger Things-related projects for Netflix.
Season 5 of Stranger Things will roll out in three parts: four episodes drop on Thanksgiving week (Nov. 26, to be precise), three on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), and the finale on New Year’s Eve.
According to the season’s official description, we’ll return to Hawkins in the fall of 1987. Our heroes are united by a single goal: to find and kill Vecna. But it obviously isn’t an easy mission. Not only has Vecna vanished, but the government has also placed the town under military quarantine. Eleven has been forced back into hiding. The anniversary of Will’s disappearance — and the final battle — looms, and the only way they’ll make it out of this darkness is together.
The fact that we, as fans, get the chance to experience the show’s climactic final chapter together on the big screen? It truly feels like the perfect ending after nearly a decade of being collectively invested in this story of Demogorgons, D&D, and the power of friendship.
