‘Stranger Things’ 5 finale heads to cinemas with a two-hour episode as trailer drops

The ‘Stranger Things’ 5 finale trailer teases Eleven’s final battle with Vecna as the series ends with a 2 hour event

Netflix has released the official finale trailer for Stranger Things 5, confirming that the long running series will conclude with its most ambitious episode yet. Titled The Rightside Up, the final chapter brings the story of Eleven and the Hawkins group to an emotional and explosive close after nearly a decade on screen.

The finale serves as the eighth and last episode of the fifth season and runs for just over two hours, marking the longest episode in the show’s history. Netflix has also confirmed that the episode will debut both on the streamer and in cinemas on December 31, making it the franchise’s first theatrical release. Screenings will take place across hundreds of theatres in the United States and Canada, with early ticket sales already drawing significant attention online.

Season 5 was released in two volumes, with the first four episodes arriving on Thanksgiving Day and the remaining three episodes dropping on Christmas. The seventh episode ended on a dramatic cliffhanger after Max regained consciousness and revealed Vecna’s plan to merge the human world with a dark parallel dimension beyond the Upside Down, known as the Abyss. The group responded by forming a dangerous plan to enter the Abyss, rescue kidnapped children and destroy it before the worlds fully collide.

The final moments of Episode 7 showed Vecna still disguised as Henry Creel, orchestrating a chilling séance as his victims were transported into the Abyss. The newly released trailer builds on that tension, focusing heavily on Eleven preparing for what appears to be her most personal and devastating confrontation yet.

Creators Matt and Ross Duffer have previously spoken about the emotional weight of the finale, particularly around Eleven’s future. Even if Vecna is defeated, she remains a target for the military, continuing a threat that has followed her since the first season. According to the Duffers, this conflict forms a core part of Eleven’s arc, shaped by the opposing perspectives of Mike’s hopefulness and Kali’s realism.

Since its debut in 2016, Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s most successful series of all time, recently surpassing 1.2 billion total views on the platform. The franchise has also expanded beyond television, spawning a stage production that has played in both London and New York.

Online reaction to the finale trailer has been intense, with fans praising the scale, emotional tone and theatrical rollout. Many noted the significance of ending the series on the big screen, viewing it as a statement on the show’s cultural impact. As the countdown to New Year’s Eve begins, Stranger Things prepares to close its chapter with a finale designed to feel as large as the phenomenon it became.