As 2025 came to an end, so did one of the most adored sagas on television. Stranger Things presented its final act not only as a significant streaming event but also created a theatrical wonder. 

The fifth season conclusion was released not only on Netflix but also on thousands of screens in North America and Canada, thus assembling a huge audience and collecting a record-breaking revenue from ticket sales at the theatre.

In a year full of tentpole movies, the finale of Stranger Things was more than just a blockbuster. 

The box office success of Stranger Things’ limited theatrical release swiftly surpassed that of even some of the most expensive movies in 2025, like The Smashing Machine and Christy. The Smashing Machine, featuring Dwayne Johnson, was a critic's choice but remained financially unsuccessful, accumulating just about $21 million globally with a $50 million budget.

Likewise, Christy, the sports biopic with Sydney Sweeney, had a domestic opening of about $1.3 million and was considered a flop by the industry. The Stranger Things finale, in comparison, managed more than many big-budget releases in total gross within just a couple of days of its limited showtimes.

The Rightside Up, the final episode of Netflix's sci-fi crown jewel, earned well over $25M on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, which was its theater window, per Deadline. To put it in perspective, by comparison, Avatar: Fire and Ash only bagged $23.7M during the same time period. Meanwhile, the sing-along version of Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters generated $18 million last year.

In addition, the finale set a distinguishing record with over 1.1 million ticket reservations for limited screenings, even beating K-Pop Demon Hunters' RSVPs, which is a spectacular achievement for an episode migrating from small to large screens. Theatergoers flocked to the event to grab their chance of a lifetime to see the showdown against Vecna on the giant screen, thus making the little experiment one of the most discussed entertainment events of the year.

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Curious about how the phenomenal finale went down outside Netflix?

Netflix unleashed the Stranger Things finale in theaters at 5 PM EST on New Year’s Eve for a limited two-day run, and the rest was history. In conjunction with the global Netflix premiere, across the US and Canada, almost 620 theaters hosted Hawkins' heroes who took down Vecna one final time.

With numerous sold-out screenings in major theater chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, the finale saw several lead characters' fates uncertain, with several open-ended possibilities, including spin-offs. At AMC theaters, they even offered concession vouchers priced at $20 per seat, while Regal Cinemas and several others offered tickets at $11, a lighthearted nod to Eleven. 

"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 bi----’ — way to celebrate the end of this adventure," Matt and Ross Duffer stated to Netflix about their excitement for the theatrical release of the Stranger Things finale. 

Meanwhile, the cast and crew members joined in on the fun by showing up at the screenings. For instance, Finn Wolfhard appeared onstage at the Park Theatre in Vancouver. Fans witnessed Hawkins’ final chapter on the big screen along with the stars they grew up with, celebrating a finale that was large enough to compete with the traditional box office revenues for some of the most prolific movies of the year.

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Have you enjoyed the finale in theaters? Comment your thoughts below.