To call Stranger Things anything other than a global phenomenon would be to undersell just how big of a titan it has become over the course of the past decade. Netflix's quaint little mystery series led by Winona Ryder very quickly grew into a juggernaut upon the release of its first season and handed the streaming service its biggest original hit ever - something that was just solidified by its season 5 numbers.
The long-running series is preparing to bow out with the third installment of its fifth and final season. It all started with Volume 1 on Thanksgiving, Volume 2 on Christmas Day, and it will all lead to The Finale on New Year's Eve. The final episode is such a larger-than-life extravanganza that the two-hour spectacle will get to grace movie theaters in the US. But that's where one of the biggest problems about the episode lies - which is not something we should be saying about it before its premiere.
Stranger Things finale won't release in the UK (or anywhere outside of the US and Canada)
There is a lot of buzz surrounding the final episode of Stranger Things' theatrical release. The two-hour episode, titled "The Rightside Up", has the mammoth task of closing out this truly spectacular series, so it's only fitting that it will be getting a mammoth screen to do it on, too. So, for those who would love to venture out to cinemas to see it in the US, they might be able to make that happen if they were lucky enough to procure tickets to the select theaters that it's being shown in. Unfortunately, if you're in the UK - or anywhere else, for that matter - you won't be able to join in on the movie theater fun.
Netflix has confirmed that the juggernaut's theatrical release is exclusive to only the US and Canada, confirmed via the caption of the original post on the show's Instagram account that announced the special fan screenings. And those who saw that right away took to the social media post's comments, pleading with the streamer to release it on other areas around the world, including India, Australia, and indeed, the UK.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as we are now mere hours away from the series finale and the limited theatrical release remains exclusive to the US and Canada. It has also showcased the sheer demand for the show, as the screening capacity was updated multiple times to allow more fans to get involved.
The fan event was originally announced as featuring around 350 screens before expanding to 500. It has now expanded further to add more locations, bringing the number of theaters across the US and Canada up to above 620. Clearly the fans are coming out in their droves, as Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer took to social media to confirm that they have had 1.1 million RSVPs thus far.
The demand for Stranger Things is still high a decade after its release, so it goes without saying a global release in theaters would have been adored by fans around the world. Even so, you can bet that they will be tuning into the episode when it premieres in each and every location.
The final episode of the series will see Eleven and the gang take the fight to Vecna, who plans on bringing the world of the Upside Down crashing into Hawkins. As the final trailer for the series highlights, they will all fight together one last time.