Netflix teamed up with AMC Theaters for the series finale of Stranger Things, releasing the last episode in over 620 theaters nationwide at the same time that the episode hit the streaming platform on New Years Eve. The partnership was a success, with theaters reportedly making over $25 million from the one day only showing. Now, AMC CEO Adam Aron says this is only the beginning of the two companies teaming up.
Following sources sharing numbers around the performance of the Stranger Things finale, AMC released a statement from Aron. In it, he says: “A few months ago, we announced that in September of 2025, a high-level dialogue between AMC and Netflix led to both companies pledging to explore ways to visibly begin working together.
The partnership makes sense for Netflix as the company has promised to honor obligations to send Warner Bros. movies to theaters after it acquires the company.
Netflix has a history with limited-run theatrical releases, starting in 2019, as a way to ensure that its original content qualified for awards season. However, reporters and social media users alike are questioning whether the company will continue prioritizing theatrical releases after the “obligations” are fulfilled. Today’s comments from AMC signal that Netflix is interested in at least further testing performance.
Aron wrote in the AMC statement today, “I have every confidence that more enticing joint projects will emerge for Netflix and AMC in 2026 and beyond, all the while with AMC respecting its obligations to treat its many studio partners in an even-handed manner.”