The popular Netflix series Stranger Things has broken a viewership record previously held by KPop Demon Hunters. Premiering in 2016 and recently concluding with its fifth season, Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s biggest hits. Season 4 ranks as the third most-watched English-language season on the platform, following the limited series Adolescence and the first season of Wednesday.
In a surprising decision, the final episodes of Stranger Things were shown in movie theaters. This limited theatrical release began on New Year’s Eve, coinciding with its premiere on Netflix. However,
According to Variety, Stranger Things made between $25 and $28 million from concessions sold during its limited time in movie theaters. While the precise amount is still unclear due to varying concession prices at different theaters, over 1.1 million vouchers were purchased.
The film’s success isn’t being judged by how many tickets were sold, but by how many concessions were redeemed. This is because the contracts of the Stranger Things actors included terms about future payments (residuals). Netflix couldn’t allow traditional ticket sales, so instead, people reserved seats using vouchers for snacks and drinks. As a result, all the revenue goes straight to the theaters, not to Netflix.
Due to the way the Stranger Things finale was shown in theaters, it’s not really possible to compare its box office numbers to the success of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. KPop Demon Hunters earned almost $25 million worldwide from two separate weekends in theaters and is currently Netflix’s biggest domestic box office hit.
Surprisingly, the final showing of Stranger Things actually made more money from concessions than the opening weekend of James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. The movie debuted at number one the weekend before Christmas and stayed there the following week. It’s predicted to be the top film again this weekend and has already earned over $850 million globally.
According to Deadline, Avatar: Fire and Ash made just $23.7 million from ticket sales over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – the same period Stranger Things was briefly in theaters. Even though the way Netflix counted ticket sales was unusual, this is still a significant achievement.
With both Stranger Things and KPop Demon Hunters becoming huge hits in theaters in 2025, it’s unclear whether Netflix will keep allowing theatrical releases for its original content. This decision is even more important now that Netflix is acquiring Warner Bros., which raises questions about the future of Warner Bros.’ movies in cinemas.
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2026-01-02 18:10