Netflix is bringing Hawkins to the big screen, the streamer confirmed Tuesday.
The finale of the global hit series “Stranger Things” will screen in more than 500 theaters across the U.S. and Canada starting Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. MST, with screenings running through Jan. 1, 2026. The episode runtime clocks in at two hours and five minutes, the second longest episode in the series.
“We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of ”Stranger Things" in theaters — it’s something we’ve dreamed of about for years, and we’re so grateful to (Netflix CEO) Ted (Sarandos), Bela (Bajaria) and everyone at Netflix for making it happen," the Duffer brothers said in a statement.
A full list of participating theater locations can be found at ST5Finale.com, which also includes instructions on how to RSVP. Tickets are not being sold for the screenings; instead, theaters are offering concession vouchers that double as seat reservations — a setup that allows theater owners to keep the revenue from the screenings. Many locations and showing times have already sold out.
Utahns have four locations to choose from: one in Provo, one in Salt Lake City and two in West Jordan.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer said screening the finale in theaters wasn’t part of the original Season 5 rollout. “Originally, the finale season was just going to be split into two volumes: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Then after we were done filming Netflix approached us with the idea of putting the finale on its own day, which we thought was cool because it would allow us to pitch our movie theater idea,” he said.
“What’s fun about seeing something in the theater, we think, is that everyone is experiencing it for the first time together. What we liked about this particular release pattern is that it allows that opportunity for a group of fans to sit and watch this unfold together.”
“Stranger Things” remains one of Netflix’s most popular titles of all time. First released in 2016, the series quickly gained traction, with its fourth season alone earning over 140.7 million views globally, per The Hollywood Reporter. Ahead of the Season 5 premiere, all four previous seasons reentered Netflix’s Top 10 list simultaneously — the first time a series has done so.
The first four episodes of Season 5 are already streaming, with the next three dropping on Dec. 25. The finale will debut both on Netflix and in theaters on Dec. 31.
While Netflix has released films in theaters before — most recently global phenomenon “KPop Demon Hunters” — the Season 5 finale marks the first time the streamer has done so without collecting box-office revenue, per Variety.