Credit: NetflixNearly a decade after Stranger Things debuted, the franchise has expanded far beyond its original Netflix run. What began as a single supernatural mystery set in Hawkins, Indiana, has grown into a multi-format phenomenon, spawning books, comics, immersive experiences, and even a stage play on the West End and Broadway with The First Shadow.
Each new project has found its own corner of the Upside Down to explore, proving that the series’ appeal hasn’t slowed down even as it approaches its big finale. With that momentum in mind, Netflix is continuing to build out the timeline in ways fans might not have expected.
Although the first four episodes of the fifth and final season are now streaming on Netflix, Stranger Things isn’t ending anytime soon — at least not in the way fans expected. Next year will see the arrival of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.
It’s a 3D-animated show set directly between seasons 2 and 3 that, technically, it gives the franchise something it’s never had before: an “in-between” season. Season 2.5, if you will.
The animated series will be the next major installment driven by the show’s ongoing popularity, similar to how the West End and Broadway production The First Shadow explored the origins of Hawkins decades before the events of the main series.
Tales From ’85 brings the story back to the core cast of characters — only this time through animation and a brand-new voice lineup.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Has Revealed 3 Characters Likely to Die in Season 5
Netflix has already revealed the cast: Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven/Jane Hopper, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha Williams as Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala as Will Byers, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield.
The shift to animation allows the characters to return to their Season 2-era ages without relying on de-aging actors such as Millie Bobby Brown (although that worked quite well in Season 4), David Harbour, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, and Finn Wolfhard.
A new teaser/featurette showcases early footage and includes commentary from Matt and Ross Duffer, along with showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles. While it avoids plot specifics, it highlights the visual style, which leans into heightened ’80s adventure aesthetics while adopting animation similar to modern projects like the Spider-Verse movies.
First announced by Netflix earlier this year, Tales From ’85 is executive-produced by the Duffer brothers and continues the overarching mythology that remains central to the franchise. The series reunites Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and the rest of the Hawkins crew as they face terrifying new threats from the Upside Down.
Stranger Things seasons 1 — 4 and Season 5 Volume 1 are now streaming on Netflix.
Are you excited about all the new Stranger Things content? What are your predictions for the finale? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!