‘Stranger Things’ Is About To Break Netflix’s #1 Streaming Rule, but It Should Be the New Normal
With the fifth and final season of Stranger Things looming, Netflix has struck an unprecedented deal with AMC to play the finale, “The Rightside Up,” in theaters across the U.S. and Canada on New Year’s Eve — at exactly the same time it premieres on the platform. This marks a first in Netflix’s history and in the world of streaming as a whole, raising an important question: why aren’t high-end streaming releases a regular feature in movie theaters?
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria initially claimed to Variety that a theatrical release was “unnecessary” for Stranger Things 5, as the series’ previous streaming-only launches had not “suffered from lack of conversation or community.” Yet just eight days later, Variety reported again that the decision had been overturned due to “great interest on social media” from fans. Playing high-profile streaming releases in theaters is a new venture that makes perfect sense — creatively, aesthetically, and financially.
Netflix Is Already Premiering Certain Films in Theaters
Max Mayfield and Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things Season 3 sat in the Starcourt Mall Movie Theater facing forwards to the screen.Image via Netflix
Netflix’s pivot to more theatrical releases could mark the start of a new revenue stream for the company despite already maintaining a close relationship with cinemas. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos called moviegoing an “outdated concept” when speaking with Variety earlier this year, but, in the same breath, claimed the company was “saving Hollywood,” partly due to their ownership of both Los Angeles’ Bay Theater and New York’s Paris Theater. The company has always been at the forefront of streaming innovation, and it seems to be continuing this with hybrid releases — most recently, the Halloween KPop Demon Hunters sing-along, which launched in theaters worldwide.
Netflix already screens its anticipated award contenders; this year, Jay Kelly and A House of Dynamite are both playing in theaters to qualify for Academy Awards contention — a movie must screen for at least one week in an LA commercial theater to be eligible. Director Guillermo del Toro shared that his adaptation of Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, will get “the biggest theatrical release that Netflix gives its films.” Greta Gerwig has also secured a two-week IMAX release of her upcoming Narnia movie before it launches on the platform. In the case of Stranger Things 5, this would truly be a first for a streaming television series. Episodes of acclaimed shows such as HBO’s Game of Thrones have screened in theaters before, but never at the same time as broadcast. A network television exception would be Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary episode, “The Day of the Doctor,” which screened in UK cinemas simultaneously with its BBC One broadcast in 2013.
It makes sense to test the water with the Duffer Brothers and a show that has been a tent-pole IP for Netflix for over 10 years. The Duffers have been making Stranger Things as if it were a big-scale feature since 2016; Finn Wolfhard shared with Collider at the Sundance Film Festival that the final season’s upcoming episodes are “like little micro-movies.” When Matt Duffer spoke with Variety, he mentioned that audiences are seeing their work “at reduced quality” on small screens and that streaming fundamentally lacks “how much time and effort is spent on sound and picture.” If streamers fully embraced theatrical screenings for their most popular series, it would allow production teams to receive the full credit that they deserve and ensure audiences are happy with the result. In other words, certain TV shows already belong in theaters; it’s the distribution model that hasn’t caught up.
Bringing Streaming Releases to Theaters Would Bring Back Moviegoing Magic
Theatrical screenings don’t just benefit TV shows’ production teams — they’re in high demand from audiences too. Before Stranger Things first premiered on Netflix in 2016, shows like House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black had already set a new standard, bringing streaming subscription into the mainstream and uniting audiences from the confines of their own homes. However, what streaming gave viewers in convenience, it took away from community.
The appetite for this kind of communal storytelling isn’t unique to Netflix. Apple TV could easily explore screenings with Severance — think of how much popcorn would be flying around during the “The Windmills of Your Mind” scene at the end of Season 2. Prime Video also has a big opportunity with Fallout‘s upcoming return, thanks to a dedicated fan base. The finales of these shows are on the scale of Marvel movie releases or major sporting matches, and watching them surrounded by equally passionate fans transforms the story into collective event cinema.
Netflix Offering More Theater Screenings Makes Complete Sense
Releasing high-profile streaming titles in theaters represents a natural evolution and a smart business move for Netflix. It complements the company’s expanding portfolio, which now includes video podcasting, gaming, live events, and e-commerce. Since the Duffers launched Stranger Things, Netflix has transformed into a very different business, as they noted in a recent Variety interview, even creating a consumer products division after executive producer Shawn Levy’s instructions! Adding theatrical distribution to its release strategy allows Netflix to pioneer new viewing models, grow fan communities offline, and unlock additional revenue streams.
A theatrical finale also wouldn’t cannibalize subscriptions — it would amplify them, while driving ticket sales to cinemas struggling in the digital era. For viewers who don’t subscribe but don’t want to miss out, theaters provide a means of participation without committing to a monthly plan. The theater setting also creates more opportunities around merchandising and concessions — Stranger Things 5 has already released a Demogorgon popcorn bucket, but for home use! It’s as if every piece of the puzzle is in place besides the last, and, arguably, the most important.
The Duffer Brothers previously told Netflix’s Tudum that theatrical screenings are “something [they’ve] dreamed about for years.” Ironically, they recently signed a four-year deal with Paramount to pursue feature films, citing the ability to work theatrically as a major draw away from Netflix. With streaming productions now rivaling feature films in scope, scale, and storytelling, theatrical releases shouldn’t be the exception — they should be the next evolution. Netflix, often blamed for shrinking theater audiences, could become the company that brings them back by challenging its own streaming-first policy. Feature-length runtimes, blockbuster budgets, and actors with movie-star power already make shows feel like theatrical releases, so why should they have to skip the big screen?
The Stranger Things 5 finale, “The Rightside Up,” will debut simultaneously on Netflix and in over 350 theaters beginning December 31 at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET, running through January 1, 2026.
Release Date
2016 – 2025
Network
Netflix
Directors
Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Andrew Stanton, Frank Darabont, Nimród Antal, Uta Briesewitz
Writers
Kate Trefry, Jessie Nickson-Lopez, Jessica Mecklenburg, Alison Tatlock
