The series finale of Stranger Things dropped on Netflix on New Year's Eve, but that wasn't the way to view the highly anticipated series closer. The episode, which clocked in at 2 hours and 8 minutes, was also released in theaters.
After two days, it managed to score between $25 and $28 million at the box office.
It's no surprise Stranger Things became a hit this week, considering Netflix had to add extra showings after the first wave sold out. This has people wondering... will Netflix start to be more open about theatrical releases?
The streamer recently acquired Warner Bros, and while it will probably take a while before the deal goes into effect, people have been concerned about the future of the industry.
Warner Bros. had a huge 2025 at the box office between A Minecraft Movie, Sinners, Superman, Weapons, F1, and more. With Netflix taking over, it could mean shorter theatrical release windows, which would ultimately hurt theatres and the industry as a whole.
Netflix and theatrical releases
The Stranger Things finale wasn't the only Netflix release to hit theatres in 2025. Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Men, and a couple of other high-profile films had limited theatrical releases before dropping on Netflix.
Meanwhile, KPop Demon Hunters was so successful on the streaming site that it was put in theatres after its initial release, and became the first Netflix movie to win a weekend at the box office.
With Stranger Things and KPop Demon Hunters being such a theatrical success, it has some fans feeling a little more hopeful about Netflix's future with Warner Bros. However, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has made his stance on theatrical releases quite clear, so we shouldn't be celebrating just yet.
“Netflix is a very consumer-focused company,” Sarandos said at the Time100 Summit in April (via Variety). “We really do care that we deliver the program to you in a way you want to watch it.”
“What is the consumer trying to tell us?" he added when asked about lower theatrical attendance. "That they’d like to watch movies at home, thank you. The studios and the theaters are duking it out over trying to preserve this 45-day window that is completely out of step with the consumer experience of just loving a movie.”
"Folks grew up thinking, ‘I want to make movies on a gigantic screen and have strangers watch them [and to have them] play in the theater for two months, and people cry and sell-out shows … It’s an outdated concept.”
"I think it is — for most people, not for everybody. If you’re fortunate enough to live in Manhattan, and you can walk to a multiplex and see a movie, that’s fantastic. Most of the country cannot," he continued.
Fans react to Stranger Things on the big screen
No matter what Sarandos says about the moviegoing experience, the release of the Stranger Things finale proves that people still love seeing film (or in this case, television) on the big screen. You can check out some reactions from fans below:
Unforgettable.
"Blown away."
Real Life vs. Social Media.
Huge crowds.
You love to see it.
"Top ten experience."
Here's hoping!
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