"Reduced quality": Matt Duffer on Stranger Things Season 5's finale being chosen for Netflix streaming despite plans for movie screening 

Matt Duffer has one gripe with the end of Stranger Things. It is not the emotional farewells, not the tear-soaked finale table read, not even the crushing task of tying up a decade’s worth of Upside Down chaos.

His frustration lies with how fans will see it.

"People don’t get to experience how much time and effort is spent on sound and picture, and they’re seeing it at reduced quality."

Ouch, Netflix!

The Stranger Things co-creator had hoped that the show’s grand finale (which reportedly runs around two hours) might get a brief theatrical run. More so after the success of the K-pop Demon Hunters sing-along event and the upcoming IMAX release of Greta Gerwig’s Chronicles of Narnia.

But that idea was ghosted by Netflix’s content chief, Bela Bajaria.

Why did Netflix say "no" to Stranger Things in theaters?

When Variety floated the theater idea to Bajaria, she was firm: Stranger Things belongs to Netflix. She said:

"A lot of people — a lot, a lot, a lot of people — have watched ‘Stranger Things’ on Netflix. It has not suffered from [a] lack of conversation or community or sharing or fandom. I think releasing it on Netflix is giving the fans what they want."

The Duffers might want Dolby, but Netflix wants data!

The streamer sees the finale as a global, binge-at-midnight moment, not a ticketed event. And while cinephiles might side with Matt on the “reduced quality” front, Bajaria has a point. This show has thrived as a cultural event because it’s been universally accessible. Still, it’s hard not to sympathize with the Duffers. Ten years of work, countless hours of editing, sound design, and visual effects, all to be compressed for the average home TV setup!

Matt’s complaint is about millions of fans gasping, laughing, and crying together in a theater. That’s the kind of Hawkins magic you can’t stream.

What’s next for the Duffer brothers?

Even as the dust settles on Hawkins, the Duffers aren’t going anywhere. Their Netflix deal remains strong, with The Boroughs (about seniors battling supernatural chaos in a retirement community) and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, a horror show set in the week before a wedding, both slated for 2026 releases.

Oh, and there’s the animated Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, set right after Season 2, ensuring that Eleven and company "can stay young forever."

As for the Stranger Things spinoff, Ross Duffer assures fans it won’t bloat into a cinematic universe. "It’ll live in a bit of a different world," he teased, though "there’s going to be connective tissue." Executive producer Shawn Levy even joked about calling it the 'STU' (the Stranger Things Universe) before catching himself mid-interview: "Too soon?"

Despite their new Paramount deal, the Duffers insist they’re focused entirely on landing this last season right. Ross said:

"We’re trying to put 100% energy into making sure we land this plane."

The finale (titled The Rightside Up) reportedly packs 40 minutes of pure emotion. It'll be a sendoff for the cast and the fans who grew up with them.

In Matt’s words:

"I’m never going to spend 10 years on something again."

And that, more than anything, might be why he wishes fans could see this last flight on the biggest screen possible. Not just streamed, but celebrated.

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So clearly, Season 5 will be on Netflix!

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