When Dustin Henderson belted out The NeverEnding Story with his girlfriend, Suzie, in the Stranger Things Season 3 finale, it became one of the most talked-about moments in television. The musical interlude arrived during the battle against the Mind Flayer at Starcourt Mall, forcing nearly every main character to listen as Dustin needed Planck’s constant to help save Hawkins.
The scene showcased Gaten Matarazzo’s Broadway-trained voice and turned what could have been a tense moment into a perfectly timed comedic break. Finn Wolfhard addressed the scene’s brilliance in a review reel posted by the Stranger Things Instagram handle. He said,
Well, we all knew that Gaten had the voice of an angel and I think the Duffers were trying in some way to fit that in because it’s like kind of too funny not to have that character have an amazing voice. Oh my God. Look at what you see. I love that this is like canon that Dustin has like an amazing voice.
The Duffer Brothers specifically designed this scene to highlight Matarazzo’s singing abilities, which he developed through years of Broadway performances. Before landing his role as Dustin Henderson, Matarazzo played Gavroche in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables and appeared in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert starting in 2011.
The scene originally featured a mournful Ent song from The Lord of the Rings, but the creators switched to The NeverEnding Story after Amazon announced its series development (via IndieWire).
Following the July 4, 2019 release of Season 3, the scene created significant cultural impact. YouTube reported an 800% increase in viewership for the original NeverEnding Story music video within days, while Spotify saw an 825% surge in stream requests for the song (via Last.fm).
The scene’s timing proved intentional, providing emotional relief during the climactic battle while showcasing a character trait that made narrative sense given Matarazzo’s actual talents.
Stranger Things Season 5 Release Schedule With Two-hour Finale In Cinemas
The final season of Stranger Things will premiere in three separate volumes starting November 26, 2025. Volume 1 drops at 5pm PT/8pm ET with four episodes, including the series opener, The Crawl running 1 hour 8 minutes, and episode 4, Sorcerer, at 1 hour 23 minutes.
Volume 2 arrives on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025, with three episodes, while the series finale will stream on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2025, as a standalone episode running approximately two hours.
Netflix announced on October 23, 2025, that the two-hour finale will receive a limited theatrical release in select cinemas worldwide, marking a historic shift in the streaming platform’s distribution strategy. This dual release allows fans to experience the conclusion both on Netflix and in theaters on the same day.
The Duffer Brothers compiled over 650 hours of footage for the final season. The brothers are confident that the season will be intense from start to finish, with everyone back in Hawkins interacting like they did in Season 1.
Duffer Brothers Sign Exclusive Four-Year Deal With Paramount Pictures
Matt and Ross Duffer officially signed a four-year exclusive deal with Paramount Pictures on August 19, 2025, beginning in April 2026 after their Netflix contract expires. The agreement covers feature films, television, and streaming projects through their production company, Upside Down Pictures.
This marks the first major deal under Paramount CEO David Ellison’s leadership and reunites the Duffers with former Netflix executives Cindy Holland and Matt Thunell, who originally greenlit Stranger Things in 2015.
The brothers stated their primary motivation centers on creating large-scale theatrical films. Ross Duffer explained in a September 2025 interview with Variety that the decision came down to their desire to make substantial original movies for theaters.
When Matt and I were talking about what we want to do next, it really came down to we wanted to do a movie, specifically an original movie — a big original film. And theatrical is so important to us.
The deal allows them to write, produce, and direct theatrical releases while remaining open to working with existing Paramount intellectual property that resonates with their creative vision.
Despite moving to Paramount, the Duffers will continue as executive producers on Stranger Things beyond Season 5’s conclusion. They currently have two new series in development at Netflix, titled The Boroughs and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, though no Stranger Things spin-offs are planned after the final season. The Paramount deal positions the brothers to pursue theatrical storytelling while maintaining their connection to the franchise that launched their careers.
What are your thoughts on the Season 3 musical moment and the upcoming Season 5 finale? Share your excitement in the comments below.
Stranger Things Season 5 will stream on Netflix starting November 26, 2025, in three volumes.
