Highlights
- Netflix has confirmed an animated Stranger Things series set in 1985
- Tales from ’85 takes place between seasons two and three of the original show
- The spin-off introduces new monsters while expanding the show’s timeline
A gap in the timeline finally explored
Netflix is returning to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, an animated series designed to explore a previously unseen chapter in the show’s timeline.
Set between the second and third seasons of the live-action series, the spin-off revisits the winter of 1985, a period never fully explored on screen. Netflix has confirmed the series will premiere on 23 April, offering fans a new entry point into the Stranger Things universe without retreading familiar ground.
Winter brings a new threat
A newly released trailer shows the group reuniting during a freezing Hawkins winter, with Will eager to spend time with Eleven despite Hopper’s reservations.
While the gang gathers for snowbound adventures and games of Dungeons & Dragons, a new danger emerges in the form of a fast-growing, worm-like creature that eventually disguises itself using a pumpkin-like head. The footage blends the show’s supernatural horror with lighter, adventure-driven moments.
Familiar characters, new voices
Although the original characters return, they are voiced by a new cast rather than the live-action actors. The voice line-up includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Brett Gipson, Luca Diaz, Braxton Quinney, Elisha Williams and Odessa A’zion.
A different tone and visual identity
Netflix’s official logline describes the series as a story in which the Hawkins group must confront new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery threatening their town during the winter of 1985.
Executive producer and director Shawn Levy has emphasised that the series is not intended as a straightforward animated version of the original. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said the show adopts a different tone and visual style, designed to expand the mythology and fill in narrative gaps rather than replicate the live-action format.
Levy added that the creative approach draws inspiration from 1980s and 1990s family animation, a direction supported by creators the Duffer Brothers, giving the spin-off its own identity.
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Release details
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 premieres on Netflix on 23 April.
