If you thought the Stranger Things saga ended with the explosive 2025 finale. Netflix has one more surprise tucked inside the Upside Down. The world of Hawkins is returning, not through another live-action season, but through a fully animated series that captures the winter of 1985 in a style straight out of Saturday morning cartoons.
Tales From ’85 takes place between Seasons 2 and 3, a period filled with eerie calm, missing answers, and emotional shifts. Now, that mysterious gap finally gets its own story, complete with new monsters, new secrets, and our beloved heroes facing the unknown once again.
Netflix has already dropped first-look images, a teaser, and the full voice cast, and fans are buzzing louder than a demogorgon. Let’s jump in.
Meet Hawkins but Animated This Time
For the first time, Eleven, Mike, Max, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Hopper arrive in animated form — and the line-up feels perfect.
Brooklyn Davey Norstedt voices Eleven, giving her that quiet-but-powerful energy. Jolie Hoang-Rappaport brings Max’s edge, Luca Diaz takes on Mike’s determined softness, and Elisha “EJ” Williams brings Lucas’s sharpness to life. Braxton Quinney becomes the quick-witted Dustin, Ben Plessala steps into the ever-emotional Will, and Brett Gipson voices Hopper with the weight of a man who’s lost too much.
And that’s not all, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips join the journey too.
The Duffer Brothers said a stranger things animated series was always part of their plan. With the help of animation, there are no boundaries anymore. The scare level of the monsters can be at the highest level. The eccentricity of the world can be at its peak. The intensity of emotions can go deeper.
Eric Robles leads the show as showrunner, while the Duffers, Shawn Levy, and Dan Cohen remain steady at the wheel, so we’re definitely in good hands.
A New Mystery of Stranger things Wrapped in Nostalgia
The story dives into fresh paranormal chaos lurking in Hawkins’ snowy winter of ’85. Something is creeping in the shadow of the woods again, and this time, it’s nothing we’ve seen before.
The animated format gives the series the freedom to go wild, bigger portals, stranger creatures, and dream-like sequences that would be impossible in live-action. And the vibe? Pure 1980s magic. Think classic cartoons with Stranger Things darkness sprinkled on top.
Even after the final season tied up the human side of the story, Tales From ’85 keeps the universe alive by exploring untouched corners of Hawkins, the kind that still gives us goosebumps years later.
It’s not a reboot. Not a remake. Not a filler. It’s a missing chapter of Stranger things season 5 finally opening.
Why Fans Are Excited All Over Again
Stranger Things fans love the show for two reasons: heart and mystery. Tales From ’85 offers both in a brand-new style without losing the essence that made us obsessed in the first place.
This is Stranger Things with limitless imagination, something even the Duffers have dreamt of since the early days. Winter 2026 can’t come fast enough.
Also Read: Our Fault Movie 2025: 3rd Part Of The Unique Love Story of Noah and Nick
FAQs
Q: Will the animated series follow a brand-new storyline?
A: Yеs, it brings a new uncharted area mystery between Seasons 2 and 3.
Q: Is it possible for new viewers to watch it without having seen the original series?
A: Absolutely, it’s designed to stand on its own.
Q: Will the tone stay dark like Stranger Things?
A: Yes, but with fun animated flair added to it.
Q: Is this the only Stranger Things spin-off planned?
A: Netflix has more ideas, but this is the next confirmed project.
Q: How many episodes will Tales From ’85 have?
A: Netflix will reveal the episode count closer to release.
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