Netflix announced Thursday that the final episode of the popular series will be shown in select theaters and simultaneously released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve.
The move marks the latest effort by the streaming giant to experiment with theatrical releases of popular titles.
The two-hour episode will conclude the long-running sci-fi horror series, which first streamed on Netflix in 2016 and launched the careers of stars including Millie Bobby Brown. The series’ commitment to a theatrical release was praised by the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer.
“Being able to see this on a big screen with great sound and visuals and a room full of fans is the perfect, dare I say it, bitchy way to celebrate the end of this adventure,” the Duffer Brothers said in a statement.
The first four episodes of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” will be released on Netflix on November 26th. The next two episodes will be released on the streaming service on December 25th, and the final episode will be released on Netflix and in theaters on December 31st.
According to Netflix, season 4 has been viewed over 140.7 million times.
The film will be shown in over 350 theaters in the US and Canada on December 31st and January 1st.
Netflix recently had success with the theatrical release of another popular title. The film was first released on Netflix’s streaming service in June before being released in theaters.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on Tuesday’s earnings call that the film benefits from Netflix’s platform, making it a compelling film for enthusiasts to watch over and over again and for audiences to see in theaters.
“We believe this movie ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ really worked because it was released on Netflix first,” Sarandos said.
In August, the Duffer brothers signed an exclusive four-year TV, streaming and film deal with Paramount, which will begin after their current deal with Netflix. The Duffer brothers said they had no intention of leaving Netflix, but realized they wanted to make their first theatrical film.
“It’s something we’ve always wanted to do,” Matt Duffer told Variety. “We’ve never had an experience like that.”
