Netflix said no: the creators of this science fiction series will not see this dream with billions of views.

On January 1, Stranger Things will say goodbye. The sci-fi series, which has been with us for almost a decade and has surpassed one billion views, will come to an end with the final 2-hour episode, which will bring the intrigue surrounding Vecna ​​and the upside-down universe to a good end.

For this 5th season, Netflix invested resources: according to some media, the platform spent more than 400 million dollars to create these 8 episodes, each of which lasts about 1 hour. 15. The latter, which will take place in France on the night of December 31 to January 1, promises to be a real feature film.

In a long interview with the American media DiversityThe Duffer brothers (the showrunners and directors of half of the Stranger Things episodes) revealed that they poured their time and energy into this season 5 and especially the final episode, which they wanted to show in theaters.

“People don’t realize how much time and effort goes into sound and picture, and they end up watching the show at a reduced quality.”Matt Duffer explains. “But more than that, it’s about living that experience with the fans.”

Netflix and movie theaters, a thorny subject

While Netflix has always dismissed the cinema experience as not being in its DNA, the platform has been trying in recent years. Few of his films have benefited from a theatrical release – either because the director pressured them to, or to compete with the most prestigious ceremonies that impose this rule. But the series never made it to the big screen.

Our favorite sci-fi series will not be an exception, as Bela Bajaria, director of programming at Netflix, confirms: “A lot of people, really a lot of people, watched Stranger Things on Netflix. The show didn’t suffer from a lack of conversation, community, sharing, or fandom. I think releasing it on Netflix gives the fans what they want.”

Netflix and the Duffers, it’s almost over

It was also this particular aspect that made the Duffer brothers move to the competition. The creators of Stranger Things have indeed inked a deal with Paramount to bring their first movie… to the big screen:

“I knew that a traditional theatrical release was important to them if they really wanted to be in film.” Bajaria said. Something Netflix could never offer them. Both writers will continue to work with the streaming giant, but only in production – on the fantasy series The Boroughs and the horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, as well as the animated spin-off series Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

If Netflix refused to release the final episode of this flagship sci-fi series on the big screen, the platform would still pull out all the stops. Several events will be held around the world, especially in Paris. Information is coming!