Stranger Things has begun its fifth and final season, marking the end of a nine-year run that helped define Netflix’s rise from TV disruptor to global streaming powerhouse. The long-awaited conclusion, arriving three and a half years after season four, will be rolled out in an unusual three-part format, with four episodes released now, three at Christmas, and a feature-length finale around New Year’s Day.
The show’s ending carries major weight for Netflix. Stranger Things is not only its most bankable original series, but one of the few that has grown its audience each season — a rare feat at a time when other mega-hits such as Squid Game and Wednesday have struggled to maintain momentum. As Netflix’s reputation has shifted from prestige innovator to a producer of «Netflix slop,» the series has remained a reminder of the company’s early cultural dominance.
The staggered release strategy highlights Netflix’s evolving approach. Long known for its binge-drop model, the platform is now experimenting with slower, more traditional rollouts — a tacit acknowledgment of the sustained buzz competitors like Apple TV+ and Disney+ achieve with weekly formats.
With Stranger Things nearing its end, the streamer faces pressing questions: Can it create another global phenomenon? And as the show’s young heroes come of age on screen, what does Netflix’s own next chapter look like?
Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that Disney’s Zootopia 2 topped the Thanksgiving box office with $156 mln domestically from 4,000 cinemas since November 26, including $96.8 mln over the weekend.
