The long-standing cold war between streaming giant Netflix and theater titan AMC has officially thawed, and it took a trip to the Upside Down to make it happen. As the series finale of Stranger Things arrives, AMC CEO Adam Aron is reporting a massive box-office win, even though, technically, no “tickets” were ever sold.

In a move that signals a new era for Trevor Decker News readers to watch, the theatrical release of the finale bypassed traditional guild clearance hurdles through a clever concession voucher system. Because tickets could not be legally charged for the broadcast, AMC required fans to purchase a $20 concession voucher to reserve their seats. The brilliance of this strategy? The theater circuit keeps 100% of that cash, turning a streaming event into a massive revenue generator for the exhibitor.

The demand has been staggering. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer confirmed that over 1.1 million seats were claimed across 620 locations globally before the event even began. Aron, who has been vocal on social media about the success, noted that while sellouts are occurring across the country, AMC is currently capturing about one-third of the total business for the event.

This partnership is a far cry from the friction seen during the release of The Irishman, where windowing disputes kept Netflix films out of major chains. By aligning the theatrical start time—8 PM ET / 5 PM PT tonight—with the global streaming drop, AMC is proving that “day-and-date” can work if the IP is strong enough.

While the theatrical window for this event is brief, ending on Jan. 1, the implications are permanent. With Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos looking to absorb more traditional studio assets, this weekend’s Stranger Things success serves as a proof-of-concept for the future of event television on the big screen. AMC is expected to release official “attendance” figures early next week.