Stranger Things fans may have said their goodbyes, but the story of Hawkins is far from over. While the Netflix series concluded on January 1 with the fifth season, the franchise is expanding with a brand-new animated series that revisits the world audiences have grown deeply attached to.
Titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the upcoming project offers a fresh way back into the universe created by the Duffer brothers. Here's all you need to know.
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 brings a new chapter to Hawkins
Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is an animated series, set to debut in 2026. It will explore a familiar timeline, but with a format and tone that sets it apart from the live-action show, as per Netflix's Tudum website.
Tales From ’85 is set between Seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things and unfolds during a freezing winter in 1985. According to the official logline, “the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.” Robles adds that viewers will soon discover that “nothing is quite as they thought it was.” The first look has been unveiled from the upcoming animated series; however, the release date is yet to be unveiled. Currently, it just says "Coming 2026."
Speaking about the creative freedom animation offers, Ross Duffer said in a first-look asset released on Stranger Things Day, “With animation there’s really no limits. Eric and his team can just go wild … and they have.”
Showrunner Eric Robles, who is executive producing the series through Flying Bark Productions, described the project as a chance to capture “the magic of Hawkins in a new way,” adding, “get your flashlight, get your backpack because it’s going to be amazing.”
The series is executive produced by Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer along with Hilary Leavitt via Upside Down Pictures, and Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen through 21 Laps. The Duffer brothers previously told Tudum, “We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with –– the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you! The adventure continues.”
Stranger Things Tales From '85: Cast and what lies ahead for Stranger Things fans
The animated series will feature well-known characters, voiced by a new cast. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voices Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport plays Max, Luca Diaz is Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams lends his voice to Lucas, Braxton Quinney voices Dustin, Benjamin Plessala plays Will, and Brett Gipson voices Hopper. Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips also join the Hawkins adventure.
The idea for Tales From ’85 emerged while the Duffer brothers were exploring other stories within the Stranger Things universe. Ross Duffer noted that when discussions began about expanding the world of Hawkins, this concept was among the first ideas to take shape.
Meanwhile, the fifth and final season of Stranger Things rolled out in three parts - the first four episodes premiered on November 26, followed by three episodes on December 26. The finale episode arrived on January 1.