The “Stranger Things 5” finale wasn’t just a cultural phenomenon at home; it lit up the box office as well. The final episode of the smash-hit Netflix series pulled in over $25 million at the box office over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in 600 theaters, according to early industry estimates, marking a massive win from a collaboration between the streamer and movie theaters.
Netflix took no revenue from the limited theatrical event — theaters pocket all the cash themselves on this one. The chains technically didn’t sell tickets but instead charged for “concession vouchers” to reserve seats for the engagement, where the series finale of “Stranger Things” played in theaters at the same time it hit Netflix. Encore showings played every half hour in some theaters throughout New Year’s Day.
The chains charged different prices for their concession vouchers so early estimates are a bit harder to nail down — AMC and Cinemark charged $20 for their vouchers, while Regal went with $11.
Regardless, this was clearly a resounding success for all involved and marks a positive step as Netflix’s icy relationship with theaters continues to thaw.
The box office figures come after “Stranger Things” co-creator Ross Duffer previously said in a social media post that 1.1 million vouchers had been sold to watch the finale in theaters.
AMC said more than 753,000 people went to AMC Theaters in just two days to watch the finale. It collected more than $15 million over that period from the $20 per-person food and beverage credit tied to the screenings over the two days.
The finale was screened in 231 of its U.S. theaters, accounting for slightly more than one-third of the total total theatre count showing of the finale. AMC estimates that more than half of all “Stranger Things” fans who saw the series finale in a movie theater did so at an AMC.
The finale marked the epic conclusion to five seasons and nearly a decade on streaming, with Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) and the gang heading into the Abyss to defeat Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) one last time.
Fans have been mixed overall on the Netflix series’ swan song, with some saying the show concluded in the “best way possible,” while others have compared it to the end of “Game of Thrones.”
A Netflix spokesperson did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
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