The world of Hawkins, Indiana, is getting bigger. Just a few months after the final season of the live-action Stranger Things ended, Netflix is getting ready to release its first animated spinoff. The new series, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, will bring back Eleven, Mike, Will, and the rest of the gang for a brand-new adventure set in a familiar time period.
The show takes place during the winter of 1985, right between the events of Season 2 and Season 3 . This is a smart move for fans who loved the original group of kids. It lets viewers spend more time with them before the bigger chaos of the Starcourt Mall era in Season 3. The Duffer Brothers, who created the original series, are on board as executive producers, with Eric Robles (known for Fanboy & Chum Chum) serving as showrunner .
The Story So Far: What Happens in Hawkins After the Gate Closes?
The official synopsis for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 gives a clear picture of where the story picks up. After the events of the Season 2 finale, Eleven closed the gate at Hawkins Lab. The kids think the horror is over. The official logline describes a peaceful scene: snowball fights, quiet days, and playing D&D .
But things are never quiet for long in Hawkins. “Beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened,” the synopsis reads . The kids have to figure out if this new threat comes from the Upside Down, Hawkins Lab, or somewhere else entirely. The mystery forces them to band together again to save their town.
Showrunner Eric Robles explained why this timeline is so exciting to explore. “We get to spend time with these kids in a way that you did not have time to in the flagship series,” Robles said in a statement. “We were able to freeze time and really go on these never-before-told adventures with them in this timeline” . He also mentioned that the show captures the feeling of being a kid going on thrilling adventures, but with real stakes and danger .
The Duffer Brothers have been thinking about an animated project for a long time. Ross Duffer noted that with animation, there are no limits, allowing the creative team to “go wild” . Matt Duffer added that the goal was to evoke the feeling of an ’80s cartoon, blending the nostalgic vibe of the decade with the spooky world they built .
Who Is Voicing Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and Hopper?
Since this is an animated series, a new cast of voice actors is stepping in to play the beloved characters. This is a common practice for animated spinoffs, allowing the original live-action actors to focus on other projects while keeping the franchise alive. The main 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
- Jeremy Jordan as Steve
The series also adds some fresh faces to the voice cast. Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips are joining the team in undisclosed roles .
Interestingly, Odessa A’zion is voicing a character named Nikki Baxter, who is described as a new addition to the universe . Robles told Tudum that Nikki serves as “the audience’s eyes.” She enters this world as an outsider with her own problems and ends up crossing paths with the kids. “She’s got to figure things out with the kids because there’s no way that she could just walk away [from what she’s seen] and pretend like it never happened,” Robles explained . This suggests the new character will be central to the plot, helping viewers discover the mystery alongside her.
When and Where to Watch the Animated Series?
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will be released globally on Friday, April 23, 2026 . It is a Netflix original, so the only place to watch it is on the streaming platform. Netflix confirmed the date in early February 2026 with a teaser trailer that gave audiences their first look at the animation style .
For viewers around the world, this means the show will be available to stream from the early morning of April 23. Whether you are in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or India, you can start watching it as soon as it drops on the service. Netflix typically releases new content at 12:00 a.m. PT in the US, which translates to different times internationally, but the date remains fixed to April 23.
The show is being animated by Flying Bark Productions, a studio known for its work on various animated projects . The teaser released by Netflix showed a style that fits the 80s aesthetic the franchise is known for, using rich colors and character designs that look both classic and fresh.
Also Read:
Expanding the Stranger Things Universe
This animated series is just one part of Netflix’s plan to keep the Stranger Things universe going. The live-action show wrapped up its story on New Year’s Eve 2025, but the door is wide open for more stories .
In addition to Tales From ’85, Netflix has confirmed that a live-action spinoff is in the early stages of development . Ross Duffer described it as taking place in a different decade with different characters, though it will still connect to the main universe. Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike in the live-action series, compared the idea to Twin Peaks, suggesting an anthology approach with different tones and locations all tied together by the Upside Down mythology .
There is also the stage play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which premiered in 2025 . This play is set in Hawkins in 1959 and tells the origin story of Jim Hopper and other characters. It shows how deep the franchise can go by exploring different eras and formats.
The creators have made it clear they aren’t interested in making spinoffs just for the sake of it. Matt Duffer emphasized that anything with the Stranger Things name has to have a reason to exist and must be of the highest quality . With Tales From ’85, the team saw an opportunity to use animation to tell stories that would be impossible or expensive to do in live-action while capturing the magic of the original show.
Fans eager to return to Hawkins won’t have to wait much longer. With the release just under two months away, more promotional materials, clips, and posters are expected to roll out as April approaches. The recent release of character posters, including a specific one for Nikki Baxter, shows that Netflix is ramping up the marketing machine for what could be the first of many animated adventures in the Upside Down .
For more updates on the latest entertainment news, keep checking back with VvipTimes for all the details from the world of streaming and beyond.
