‘Stranger Things’ series finale to play in select movie theaters
‘Stranger Things’ series finale to play in select movie theaters
According to reports, the show will break a longstanding tradition of the show and send its feature-length finale to cinemas.
The will-they, won’t-they back-and-forth over the fate of the “Stranger Things” finale is quickly becoming a more stilted tale than that of Ross and Rachel. Specifically, there has been some conflicting information regarding whether or not the series finale of the show will play in theaters or not, but a new report would seem to more-or-less concretely confirm that the “Stranger Things” final episode will play in cinemas in the United States.
Key Details:
- To the theater!: The “Stranger Things” series finale will play in theaters as a partnership between Netflix and AMC.
- Or will it?: Just last week, a Netflix executive said in an interview that the episode would not go to cinemas.
- Picking its spots: Netflix is quite selective about the titles it consents to put in theaters.
The original reporting that “Stranger Things” would be showing its series finale in theaters came from Puck News. The outlet’s “What I’m Hearing” newsletter said on Tuesday that the feature-length finale episode will air in AMC theaters, as well as those of other chains.
The “Stranger Things” finale episode will arrive in cinemas on New Year’s Eve, the same day it’s due to arrive on Netflix. There’s no telling how long it will remain there; Netflix titles usually get limited theatrical engagements, so the best bet is to not expect it to stay there for long.
The news that “Stranger Things” will indeed send its series finale to theaters comes just days after a key Netflix executive seemed to throw cold water on the idea. Speaking with Variety, the streamer’s chief creative officer, Bela Bajaria, said last week, “I think releasing [‘Stranger Things’] on Netflix is giving the fans what they want.”
On the other hand, per the letter of Bajaria’s words Netflix has not gone back on any promises. The “Stranger Things” series finale will still show up on Netflix on Dec. 31, regardless of whether or not it plays in theaters, so there’s no danger of viewers not being able to see it there.
Netflix is very selective with the amount of titles it puts into theaters, despite pleas from theaters to do it more. The streamer usually reserves limited theatrical runs for movies that it knows have a chance to compete for awards, as many major Hollywood honors require at least a limited theatrical stint for consideration. That’s why the next “Knives Out” movie is headed to cinemas, and immediately after Netflix will follow on with the series finale of one of its most beloved shows of all time.
Netflix
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