Entertainment

Netflix Officially Launches First ‘Stranger Things’ Spin-Off This Month

Published

2 days ago

1 April 2026

NewsAdmin

Netflix has grown quite a sci-fi division over the last 10 years, but no shows have exploded to the same level as Stranger Things. The series arrived 10 years ago, starting as nothing more than a simple supernatural kidnapping thriller, but by the time its final season arrived last year, the show had evolved into something much more complex. Like any show with a big audience, the ending of Stranger Things was quite controversial among fans, but most would agree it avoided the same disaster-level conclusion as Game of Thrones. Many fans were surprised to see such little death from the finale, though. Season 5 may have come and gone, but there are still plenty of stories from Hawkins left to tell.

The Duffer brothers, Matt and Ross, have already confirmed that another Stranger Things series is in the works, but it will focus on the mysterious rock that a young Henry Creel found inside the suitcase while he was exploring the cave. It’s unconnected to the original show. It’s still up in the air as to when this new offshoot will arrive, but fans don’t have to wait that long to return to Hawkins. Netflix has already announced a new animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, which will officially be released later this month, on April 23. The animated series is set between the events of Seasons 2 and 3, and Netflix has also released an official synopsis, which reads as follows:

“Return to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an exciting new animated series from showrunner Eric Robles and executive producers the Duffer Brothers. In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this new story set in the Stranger Things universe.”

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Are Any ‘Stranger Things’ Cast Members Coming Back for ‘Tales From ’85′?

Unfortunately, none of the core Stranger Things cast from live-action will be reprising their roles in the animated series. The ensemble cast for Tales From ‘85 consists of Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, Brett Gipson as Hopper, Odessa A’zion as Nikki Baxer, Jeremy Jordan as Steve, Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter and Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer. Additional voice cast includes Robert Englund as Cosmo, Alysia Reiner as Karen Wheeler, Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler, Valeria Rodriguez as Rosario, and Jack Griffo as Jeff.

Check out all five seasons of Stranger Things on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of the first spin-off, Tales From ‘85.