‘Stranger Things’ ushered in a new era for Netflix
Noah Schnapp, Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo star in Season 5 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
Courtesy: Netflix
The original concept for what would become “Stranger Things” was rejected by more than 15 studios before landing a spot on Netflix’s roster of original programming.
A decade later, the show created, written and directed by Matt and Ross Duffer has become one of the biggest cultural touchstones of the streaming era and has solidified Netflix as not just a competitor, but a leader in the space.
“People always talk about Netflix and [say] our big moment was when we’d put on ‘House of Cards,’ and that was a big deal. But our real moment was when we put on ‘Stranger Things,'” co-CEO Ted Sarandos said during the “Stranger Things” Season 5 premiere in Los Angeles last month.
“‘House of Cards’ was great. It kind of told the world that we’re going to make some really good TV shows,” he continued. “But with ‘Stranger Things,’ this was a lot closer to a ‘Star Wars’ moment. This is a show, characters that move the culture, that spawned live events and consumer products and spinoffs and sequels.”
The final bow
Released in 2016, “Stranger Things” is set in the ’80s and centers on a group of middle schoolers in a fictional rural town in Indiana who must navigate paranormal and supernatural occurrences following the disappearance of their friend. In the mix is a young girl with psychokinetic powers who has escaped from a secret research lab, an alcoholic police chief who is trying to find the missing boy and a frantic mother.
Now, almost a decade later, the fifth and final season is making its staggered debut on Netflix.
An advertisement for “Stranger Things” on one of Netflix’s buildings in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, Dec. 2, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Volume 1, which consists of the first four episodes, debuted over the Thanksgiving holiday and amassed 59.6 million views in the first five days, the biggest premiere week for an English-language series on Netflix. It ranks third overall behind Season 2 and Season 3 of the Korean series “Squid Game.”
In its second week on the platform, Volume 1 generated another 23.6 million views, topping the streamer’s weekly charts, and each of the previous four seasons saw week-over-week viewership bumps, as fans rewatched prior episodes, Netflix reported.
Volume 2 of “Stranger Things” Season 5, which contains three episodes, arrives on Christmas, and the finale episode, which has a run time of a little over two hours, is set for New Year’s Eve. The finale will be available for viewing in select theaters New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
In a break with tradition, Netflix will not be selling tickets for these screenings. Instead, more than 500 domestic cinemas will sell concession vouchers that will guarantee seating for the showings. These vouchers can be used toward purchases of food and beverages at the venues. Furthermore, theater owners will keep all revenue from these…
Read More: ‘Stranger Things’ ushered in a new era for Netflix