Netflix has announced its first animated Stranger Things series, titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, set to release in June 2026. The eight-episode show explores untold stories from Hawkins, Indiana, through a bold new visual style inspired by 1980s animation and horror.
The series takes place in 1985, the same year key events unfolded in Stranger Things Season 3. Instead of continuing the main story, the show will present standalone episodes focused on different characters and alternate scenarios. Each story offers a “what-if” twist, showing familiar faces in new and strange situations.
Co-creator Shawn Levy said the animated format allows the creators to experiment freely. “We’re not retelling Season 3; we’re remixing it,” he explained. “Animation lets us explore wild ideas and bring the Upside Down to life in new ways.”
The animation, produced by Monkey Massacre, blends hand-drawn and digital techniques to create a world filled with neon lights, eerie shadows, and otherworldly creatures. Early images show scenes of Eleven levitating through a storm, Dustin battling a possessed computer, and Eddie Munson facing off against new supernatural threats.
Several original cast members, including Finn Wolfhard (Mike) and Sadie Sink (Max), will lend their voices through archival recordings. The series also introduces new characters voiced by Ayo Edebiri and Bill Hader.
Fans who attended early screenings at New York Comic Con described the show as “fresh and unexpected.” Critics have called it “a creative new chapter” for the popular franchise.
The Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, developed the project after completing the live-action series. A companion comic book from Dark Horse is scheduled for release later this year, expanding the animated world even further.
Tales From ’85 will premiere globally on Netflix on June 13, 2026.
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