The Upside Down is getting bigger, or at least it will look bigger than it does at home, as Netflix is reportedly bringing the Stranger Things finale to movie theaters nationwide.
According to Matthew Belloni at Puck, “[The] Stranger Things finale *will* go to theaters: Remember last week when I suggested the recent talks between Netflix and AMC Theatres could lead to more theatrical partnerships beyond KPop Demon Hunters on Halloween? Now I can report that the two-hour Stranger Things series finale will debut in AMC and other theater chains on New Year’s Eve, the same day it drops on Netflix.”
The report also clarified a point made earlier when the possibility was up in the air: “Yes, the Duffer brothers were recently quoted in Variety saying they asked for theaters and were ‘shot down’ by Netflix’s Bela Bajaria. But that interview was done weeks ago, before the theater deals were far enough along, so everyone was playing coy. The deals still aren’t signed, I’m told, but it’s happening. What’s next?”
Well, what’s next, we hope, is a Vecna popcorn bucket or sippy cup where the straws are tentacles.
Bringing the culmination of five seasons to the big screen would be epic. There were some episodes in season four that would have looked so cool on the big screen. With AMC theaters potentially in the mix, the screenings would be even more accessible than the current limited release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. We’re thinking that KPop Demon Hunters coming back to theaters for Halloween is a prime testing ground for a more regular Netflix and AMC partnership, to the benefit of audiences as well as streaming projects with cinematic potential.
Will you be watching the Stranger Things finale at home or in theaters, if the latter is an option? Let us know in the comments below!
io9 reached out to Netflix for confirmation of Puck’s report and will update if we hear back.
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