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‘Stranger Things’ Creators’ New 8-Part Sci-Fi Mystery Series Checks Into Netflix in First Trailer

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It’s only been a bit over three months since Stranger Things came to an end on Netflix, yet creators Matt and Ross Duffer haven’t slowed down. Back in March, the brothers served as executive producers on Haley Z. Boston‘s acclaimed new horror miniseries Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen at the streamer. They’re also bound to return to Hawkins, Indiana, on April 23 with the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, taking viewers back to the time between Seasons 2 and 3 of their platform-defining megahit. Despite all of that, there’s still one more series they have planned for 2026, and it’s set to premiere next month.

On May 21, Netflix will debut The Boroughs, another project the Duffers executive-produced that was born out of their desire to support up-and-coming creators. In this case, those creators were Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the duo behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Their project shares a lot of DNA with Stranger Things, only instead of following kids battling otherworldly threats in Indiana, it’ll center on misfit seniors in a seemingly idyllic retirement community in New Mexico. The titular Boroughs promises paradise for its residents, though a newcomer, Sam, played by Spider-Man 2 fan-favorite Alfred Molina, finds it to be more like a prison that becomes something far worse after a terrifying nighttime encounter. The first official trailer has now been released, teasing what horrors await him and the colorful group of fellow nursing home renegades who are ready to unravel what’s happening at the Boroughs before their time runs out.

The welcomes both viewers and Sam to The Boroughs, which acts as a fully-functioning little village in the desert packed with activities, gorgeous little houses, and a sense of autonomy for its residents. Sam can’t help but be a curmudgeon about the move, but it quickly becomes a new chapter of his life in the most unexpected way once he moves in. During one night, he sees an inhuman arm pushing through his oven, kicking off a journey both horrifying and fantastical where he joins forces with his fellow neighborhood outcasts in a fight to uncover the truth. There’s a Steven Spielberg-like sense of wonder as the group, also featuring a former journalist and a spiritual seeker, among others, forms a tight-knit companionship and sneaks into the heart of the Boroughs, where mystery abounds.

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Who Makes Up ‘The Boroughs’ Ragtag Group of Seniors?

The two-time Emmy-nominated Molina is joined in his journey through the Boroughs by a diverse cast of veteran actors playing his fellow residents. Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare,Clarke Peters, Bill Pullman, Carlos Miranda, Jena Malone, Seth Numrich, and Alice Kremelberg make up the main group, with additional Ed Begley Jr., Dee Wallace, Eric Edelstein, Rafael Casal, Mousa Hussein Kraish, Beth Bailey, Karan Soni, and Jane Kaczmarek. In an interview with Collider’s Taylor Gates last year for The Last Frontier, Woodard credited that star-studded roster for convincing her to come aboard, saying, “the coolest thing about it was that the first six or seven people on the call sheet were over 62.” Behind the camera, capturing the sort of “quirky and fun” yet still high-stakes horror, are directors Ben Taylor, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, and Augustine Frizzell.

The Boroughs premieres on Netflix on May 21. Check out the trailer in the player above.


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Release Date

May 21, 2026

Network

Netflix

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Directors

Augustine Frizzell, Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Ben Taylor

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