Netflix’s Stranger Things will conclude on Dec. 31, 2025, with a finale that will also screen in theaters. AMC announced on Dec. 2 that approximately 200 of its U.S. locations will host screenings on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2026, with seats reserved through a $20 food-and-beverage credit.
The fifth and final season began with four episodes on Nov. 26. Three more episodes are scheduled for Dec. 25, followed by the finale on Dec. 31. The Los Angeles Times reported that the final episode would run about two hours.
AMC outlines concession-credit arrangement
AMC said its first screenings will begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time, or 5 p.m. Pacific time, on Dec. 31. Its locations form part of a broader theatrical engagement in the United States and Canada.
Instead of a conventional admission ticket, AMC customers purchase a $20 credit that allows them to select a seat and can be redeemed for food and drinks on the screening day. Reservations opened Dec. 2. The credit is nonrefundable, and AMC said passes, A-List benefits and AMC Stubs points cannot be used to obtain admission.
The arrangement follows AMC’s Halloween screenings of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. AMC chairman and chief executive Adam Aron said the companies had opened a dialogue in October about showing Netflix films in theaters, although terms still needed to be resolved.
“Nothing would make us happier than to play Netflix theatrical movies in our theatres,” Aron said in AMC’s announcement. He added that the company needed to treat its existing studio partners fairly.
Merchandise and live events accompany the final season
Netflix announced a range of Stranger Things merchandise and brand collaborations on Dec. 2. Chief marketing officer Marian Lee described it as the “largest collection of products and experiences in Stranger Things history” and one of Netflix’s biggest campaigns.
The announced partners include Lego, Jazwares, Squishmallows, Funko and Care Bears for toys and collectibles; Gap, Nike, Crocs, CoverGirl, Zara and Wrangler for apparel and lifestyle products; and Eggo, Doritos, Kellogg’s cereal, Gatorade and Starbucks for food and drinks.
The campaign builds on a consumer-products business Netflix established in 2019, followed by the launch of Netflix Shop in 2021. The Los Angeles Times reported that interest from brands in Stranger Things helped spur the company’s expansion into licensed merchandise.
The series also has stage and immersive-event adaptations. Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened on Broadway in April 2025. In Abu Dhabi, Stranger Things: The Experience runs from Nov. 14, 2025, to Feb. 15, 2026, according to Khaleej Times.
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things debuted in 2016. The science-fiction series follows children and adults confronting supernatural events in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s.