Netflix Says No To A Theatrical Release For Stranger Things Season 5

The ’80s retro dark fantasy series will stay relegated to the Upside Down of global streaming.

Stranger Things is coming to an end lo, these nine years since it debuted all the way back in 2016. People have grown up in that time, including a good chunk of that cast. It’s a pretty momentous occasion, but not, it seems momentous enough to warrant a theatrical release – even a limited one.

That’s according to series creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who revealed that their theatrical ambitions were thwarted by the bean counters at Netflix in a wide-ranging feature published at Variety.

It’s certainly a bummer for the Duffers, but Matt thinks it’s the fans who are missing out, noting “People don’t get to experience how much time and effort is spent on sound and picture, and they’re seeing it at reduced quality. More than that, it’s about experiencing it at the same time with fans.”

Which is true to a degree, but perhaps more than any other series, Stranger Things is a streaming phenomenon. an early break out hit for the Netflix streaming experience, its wild popularity helped put Netflix on top of the heap and keep it there. But that means it’s couch fodder, not something you put pants on for – especially when, best case scenario, the whole thing will be available for home viewing almost instantly.

In the same piece, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria astutely agreed with that observation, saying “A lot of people—a lot, a lot, a lot of people—have watched Stranger Things on Netflix. It has not suffered from lack of conversation or community or sharing or fandom. I think releasing it on Netflix is giving the fans what they want.”

But never fear, the Brothers Duffer will be doing something in the theatrical space before too long. That was one of the drivers behind them taking up a new deal with Paramount once their current hitch at Netflix wraps. And those who wish to remain in Hawkins’ shadowy climes have a whole, albeit secretive, Stranger Things spin-off on Netflix to look forward to from the Duffers, although that one seems to be very much in the “when we get around to it” pile.