The world of Stranger Things is getting bigger. While the main series wrapped up its five-season run at the end of 2025, Netflix is getting ready to release its first TV spin-off. It is an animated series called Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. The show is set to premiere on April 23, 2026, and it will take viewers back to Hawkins, Indiana, for more adventures with the kids everyone loves .
But the creation of this show came with a big storytelling problem. The producers wanted to set the new series in the winter of 1985, which is the time between Season 2 and Season 3. In the world of the show, this creates a major issue. At the end of Season 2, Eleven closed the gate to the Upside Down. So, how can monsters and danger still exist if the main door is locked?
The answer lies in a clever “loophole” that the show’s creators found in their own story.
The Search for a Story Loophole
When the Duffer Brothers decided they wanted an animated spin-off set in the 1985 timeline, they had to figure out how to make it work without breaking the rules of the universe they had already built . They brought in Eric Robles, an animation veteran known for shows like Fanboy & Chum Chum and Glitch Techs, to serve as the showrunner and help solve the puzzle .
Robles took the job seriously. He went back and studied the original show with a fine-tooth comb. “I dissected the [original] show, looking for any loopholes. I found a few of ’em,” Robles told Entertainment Weekly. “And then I found this one idea that I was just like, ‘Oh s—! I think that’s it’” .
This “it” moment became the foundation for the entire new series. The answer was not about reopening the gate. Instead, it was about the leftover mess that the Upside Down left behind. Robles describes the core idea as “Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter” .
Even though the main portal is closed, the previous interactions between our world and the other dimension caused a reaction. According to Robles, “There’s a chain reaction to the creatures that are in our world and the things that are popping up” . This means that the science experiments and the residual energy from the Upside Down are mixing together. This creates new problems and new monsters for the kids to face, even without an open gate.
Filling the Gap Between Seasons
Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 fits perfectly into a specific time frame that the live-action show skipped over. Season 2 ended in December 1984 with the Snow Ball. Season 3 started up again in the summer of 1985, on June 28, to be exact . That leaves a gap of about six months that fans have never seen.
This new animated series will fill those months. Showrunner Eric Robles explained that the show will focus on the quiet moments the original series didn’t have time for. It will linger on the “sense of young love” between Mike and Eleven after their first kiss. It will also show how the friend group grows closer during this time . A new development is that Dustin will form the “Hawkins Investigators Club” during this period, giving the kids a reason to look into the strange new happenings around town .
A New Look and New Voices
The animation style of Tales from ’85 is pulling directly from the 1980s vibe that the live-action show is famous for. Robles looked to the iconic Stranger Things posters created by artist Kyle Lambert, who was inspired by the legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan. “Those posters have it all. They have these brilliant colors, there’s darks, there’s vibrancy to it,” Robles said. “If I can bring those posters to life, I got something pretty awesome” .
Flying Bark Productions, the studio behind What Ifโฆ?, is handling the animation .
Since the original cast members have grown up, the animated series is bringing in a whole new group of younger actors to voice the beloved characters. The voice cast includes :
- Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max
- Luca Diaz as Mike
- Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas
- Braxton Quinney as Dustin
- Benjamin Plessala as Will
- Brett Gipson as Hopper
The series will also introduce a brand-new character named Nikki Baxter, described as a “tinkerer” with pink hair . She is not part of the original live-action story, which has led fans to wonder what might happen to her by the time Season 3 rolls around . Other notable names joining the cast include Odessa Aโzion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips in undisclosed roles .
Also Read:
Keeping the Horror Alive in Animation
Fans might think an animated show means a lighter, safer version of Stranger Things. Eric Robles wants to make it clear that is not the case. He promises that Tales from ’85 will have bite.
“It’s got its bite to it,” Robles said. “The stakes are real for the kids. It’s not Scooby-Doo, man. It’s not like, ‘Oh, well, it’ll be fine.’ We don’t know if it’ll be fine” .
The show will feature “a lot of freaking cool monsters,” but they won’t just be random threats. Robles clarified that it is “not just ‘monster of the week’ for the sake of ‘monster of the week.’” Everything ties back into a season-long mystery that the kids have to solve .
With the main series finished, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 represents the first step into a larger franchise. There are other projects in development, including a live-action spin-off that will be separate from the Hawkins storyline . For now, fans can look forward to returning to the world they love in a new format when the animated series debuts on Netflix on April 23, 2026 .
For more updates on your favorite shows and streaming releases, keep checking back with VvipTimes for the latest stories from the world of entertainment.
