Netflix announces Stranger Things animated series Tales From ’85, set for 2026 release

Stranger Things universe has just expanded

Fans have been eagerly anticipating the fifth and final instalment of Stranger Things. However, creators Duffer Brothers have just doubled the excitement with the announcement of an animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

Netflix gave a big surprise on Stranger Things Day, the day Will Byers vanished in Hawkins, Indiana (November 6, 1983).

Netflix dropped an announcement video featuring concept art of the upcoming animated series on November 6. The streaming platform accompanied the video with the caption, “Something survived in ’85. STRANGER THINGS: TALES FROM ’85, a new adventure in animation, coming in 2026.”

The video began with the Duffers revealing to Netflix's Tudum that they conceived the concept for Tales From '85 while developing other ideas for the Stranger Things universe.

Ross Duffer shared, “When we started talking about was there anything else we wanted to do with Stranger Things, this was one of our first ideas.”

Netflix teased about the show, “Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town.”

Watch Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 trailer:

The show fills in some of the details of what happened during the O.G. Stranger Things' second and third seasons.

Robles said of the series, “What we’ve been able to capture is the magic of Hawkins in a new way.” He also teases that the story of the series takes place between seasons 2 and 3.

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However, the original cast members will not return for the animated series.

The voice cast includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Ej (Elisha) Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will and Brett Gipson as Hopper. Additional voice cast members include Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will premiere on Netflix in 2026.