Netflix news: ‘Stranger Things’ season five finale is coming to cinemas
Netflix’s Stranger Things has provided more iconic moments than one can count over the last few years.
With the show’s fifth and final season coming to a close, Netflix has revealed the finale will be shown concurrently in cinemas across North America with its release on the streaming site.
Having already given viewers an odd release schedule, with episodes coming out in three batches, Film News Blitz’s Joe Matthews discusses what makes this so special.
A new viewing experience
The conclusion to Stranger Things is to be shown in over 350 cinemas across the United States and Canada, with no information for potential UK screenings being given yet.
Dropping at 5 pm Pacific Time on December 31, 2025, viewers around the world will be brought together in a unique viewing experience for TV shows.
The creators of the show, the Duffer brothers, said: "We’re beyond excited that fans will have the chance to experience the final episode of Stranger Things in theatres. It’s something we’ve dreamed about for years.
"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 move is unprecedented, marking the first time a TV episode is shown in cinemas at the same time it’s streaming.
What is ‘Stranger Things’ season five about?
While exact details of the finale itself are somewhat limited, we know that the finale will be over two hours long.
The synopsis of the season reads, "The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished - his whereabouts and plans unknown.
"Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread.
"The final battle is looming, and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone, the full party, standing together, one last time."
The first instalment will air on November 27 at 1 am GMT, with the second part following at 1 am on Boxing Day.
The finale will then air at 1 am on New Year’s Day in the UK
According to Netflix Tudum, Stranger Things season four is the platform's third most successful show of all time, with over 140 million views, only being beaten by Adolescence and season one of Wednesday.
So, with audiences around the world waiting in anticipation for the closing of the fifth season, many of them across America and Canada will have a brand new opportunity to view the Stranger Things finale live on the big screen, surrounded by like-minded fans.
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