We may still be recovering from the final episode of Stranger Things, but we’re not leaving Hawkins just yet, as a new animated spin-off series, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, has been announced by Netflix – and we’re about to get a first look at it.
The initial news came weeks before Volume 1 of Stranger Things 5 dropped on November 26, with showrunner Eric Robles and Stranger Things co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer behind the project. Now, Netflix is about to drop a first look at the show.
Here is everything we know so far about the spin-off.
What can viewers expect?
Netflix
Tales From 85′ is set in the town of Hawkins in the winter of 1985, specifically “in the Stranger Things universe between Seasons 2 and 3”, and so that it will include “characters fans already know and love,” but the synopsis noted there’s a “twist.”
As the logline reads, “the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.”
In the announcement video, we see all the main characters from the original TV show, which include Eleven, Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Lucas Sinclair, Dustin Henderson, Max Mayfield, and Jim Hopper.
Who is in the cast?
The actors from the TV series are not voicing their characters in the spin-off series, with new voice actors being cast in the roles and are as follows:
- Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max
- Luca Diaz as Mike
- Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas
- Braxton Quinney as Dustin
- Ben Plessala as Will
- Brett Gipson as Hopper
Additional new cast members include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips.
The Duffer Brothers on the new series
Netflix
“When we started talking about, is there anything else we wanna do with Stranger Things, this was one of our first ideas,” Ross Duffer explained in the announcement video.
Meanwhile, Matt Duffer shared how “The idea was to evoke a feeling of an ’80s cartoon.”
Ross noted, “With animation, there’s really no limits. Eric and his team can just go wild … and they have.”
When is it being released?
A specific release date has not yet been revealed, but we can expect Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, to debut next year in 2026.
Is there a Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 trailer?
Almost! Netflix posted on 1 February 2026 that the first teaser for the show is coming on the 2 February, alongside a photo glimpse of the animated series. Watch this space.
“Tomorrow can’t come fast enough — the Upside Down has me in a chokehold already”, one person wrote.
“Yes! Don’t let it end”, another fan added, while a third penned: “I am so excited for this universe.”
Elsewhere from Indy100, Stranger Things: 5 of the biggest fan theories for what’s to come, and Sweet detail in Stranger Things season 5 is changing the way we watch.
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