Stranger Things Series Finale Hitting Theaters: “The Rightside Up” Gets New Year’s Eve 2025 Cinema and Netflix Release Across U.S. & Canada

The Stranger Things phenomenon is officially making the jump from couch to cinema, as Netflix confirms that the series’ final episode will screen in hundreds of theaters across the U.S. and Canada to ring in the New Year. The feature-length finale, titled “The Rightside Up”, will debut in cinemas on December 31, 2025 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, timed exactly with its streaming launch on Netflix, turning the show’s last stand in Hawkins into a shared big-screen event rather than a strictly at-home binge moment.

For fans planning their viewing strategy, the finale’s theatrical rollout is designed as a two-day celebration. Screenings will run from the evening of December 31 through January 1, 2026, giving audiences a narrow but buzzy window to experience the end of the saga with a packed crowd. Early reports indicate the limited engagement will span more than 350 theaters across North America, underscoring just how aggressively Netflix is leaning into the show’s event status.

In the U.S., tickets will be sold through Regal and other major chains, while Canadian fans will be able to book via Cineplex. Ticket sales are scheduled to open on December 2, 2025, with Netflix’s official “Stranger Things” social channels urging fans to “secure your seat” for the fan screenings as soon as they go live. The limited footprint and holiday timing suggest that early showings, particularly in major markets, could sell out quickly as viewers look to turn New Year’s Eve into a Hawkins-themed outing.

Running just under or slightly over two hours, the finale is being treated as a full-scale movie, capping a season that has already rolled out in multiple volumes across the holiday corridor. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have described the decision to go theatrical as a long-held dream, emphasizing the impact of seeing the Upside Down rendered with cinema-grade sound and picture alongside a roomful of fans. In interviews, they’ve called the theatrical send-off the “perfect” and “bitchin’” way to close out nearly a decade of supernatural storytelling.

For Netflix, the theatrical move marks a significant break from its usual playbook. While the streamer has occasionally tested limited big-screen runs for films and special episodes, this is the first time an episode of a flagship series will premiere in theaters and on streaming simultaneously. The strategy signals just how central Stranger Things remains to Netflix’s brand—and how determined the company is to make the final trip to Hawkins feel less like “just another drop” and more like a communal pop-culture milestone as 2025 comes to a close.