Netflix is going all out when it comes to the release of Stranger Things Season 5. While the streamer has long taken to releasing shows in two halves, in part due to the success of doing so with Season 4, the final episodes of the hit series will be released in three volumes, each with very notable release dates: Volume 1 (Episodes 1-4) will release on Thanksgiving; Vol. 2 (Episodes 5-7) drop on Christmas Day; Vol. 3, the finale, will hit Netflix on New Year’s Eve.
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However, it seems the plans might be even bigger than they first seemed, with a new report claiming Netflix will indeed release the Stranger Things series finale in theaters. Per Puck‘s Matt Belloni, the episode will “debut in AMC and other theater chains on New Year’s Eve,” continuing the new relationship between Netflix and AMC. Another recent report from Variety revealed the Duffer Brothers had hoped for this and had been shot down by Netflix exec Bela Bajaria. Still, Belloni notes that this was conducted some time ago, before plans were in place. Puck does state that the deals aren’t officially signed, but “it’s what’s happening.”
Stranger Things Finale’s Theatrical Release Is An Easy Win For Netflix
If it does happen, this would mark Netflix’s first time releasing an episode of a show in theaters, but it’s easy to see why they’d take that step. The Duffers themselves want to make theatrical movies, something that helped drive their new deal with Paramount, and Netflix is also establishing itself as a theatrical player. This would presumably be a one-night event – though it’s unclear whether it’ll extend beyond the U.S. – and given the hype for Stranger Things Season 5 as the end of the show after nine years, it’d be giving one of Netflix’s biggest hits a massive sendoff.
The Stranger Things series finale is expected to be like a movie: previous reports have suggested budgets for Season 5’s installments could be as high as $50-60m per episode, and it’s likely the final installment will have a runtime of around two hours, so in terms of scale, it’s fitting of a theatrical release. For the die-hards who want to see it on the big screen and celebrate the end of the series in style, this will offer that opportunity.
At the same time, what should matter most is that this is a great final episode of Stranger Things. The scale and spectacle will no doubt be impressive, but it needs to land the emotion of the ending, and be narratively satisfying as well – and that’s true regardless of whether it’s being watched in theaters or at home on Netflix. The latter is still the primary audience, after all, and this is still a TV show, so it has to get those fundamentals right to go out on a high, no matter the size of the screen.
Stranger Things Seasons 1-4 are available to stream on Netflix.
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