Audiences flocked to cinemas to say goodbye to the Upside Down over New Year’s.
Movie theaters earned between $25 million to $28 million by showing the finale to Netflix‘s “Stranger Things,” sources tell Variety. It’s very hard to get an exact number, because tickets came with vastly different pricing. AMC and Cinemark charged $20 for a concession voucher, for example, while Regal Cinemas and other circuits charged $11, a nod to the supernatural character played by Millie Bobby Brown.
A spokesperson for Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, the Duffer Brothers, the show’s creators, announced on social media that 1.1 million vouchers had been sold. AMC is expected to announce its results in the coming days, which should provide a fuller picture.
The results are good news for theaters, which are having a robust holiday season after a disappointing year that saw domestic ticket sales hit roughly $8.9 billion, a 1.5% increase over the middling 2024 results and far below the $11 billion that the business generated prior to COVID. But 2025 did close with some welcome successes such as “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “The Housemaid” and “Marty Supreme.”
“Stranger Things,” a homage to ’80s fantasy adventures such as “The Goonies” and “E.T.,” has become one of the most popular shows in Netflix’s history. It ended its five-season run with a super-sized, two-hour finale that debuted on New Year’s Eve. Netflix has often had a complicated relationship with exhibitors, who have refused to show some of the streamer’s movies because they do not adhere to traditional theatrical windows. Many cinemas are concerned about Netflix’s plans to buy Warner Bros., fearing the company would shorten the amount of time between a film’s debut and its bow on home entertainment platforms.
variety.com
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