Stranger Things’ return to Hawkins in new spinoff will “feel like a lost season” of main show

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Whether you enjoyed the ending of Stranger Things or wished it had gone a different way, the animated spin-off Tales From ’85 should appeal to fans. According to showrunner Eric Robles, it’s designed to feel like a “lost season” of the main Netflix series. Just weeks after the emotional and somewhat controversial finale, Netflix has released a trailer for the animated show, which fills in the story between seasons 2 and 3.

Covered in snow, the town of Hawkins provides the backdrop for a brand new, frightening adventure. The group must confront a creature from the Upside Down unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Although it won’t be as intensely dark as Stranger Things, both in terms of its visuals and subject matter, Tales From ’85 will feel more like the earlier seasons of that show. As director Robles explained to Empire, it focuses on smaller stakes—when the characters were trying to protect their town, rather than the entire world.

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Robles added that the story could easily be adapted into a live-action show. Their goal was to create something that felt like a missing season of the original series, returning to the town of Hawkins.

I was really surprised to learn that even though Tales From ’85 takes place in the winter, the filmmakers were actually inspired by Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbuster, Jaws! It’s cool how something so summery could influence a winter story.

It’s winter in Hawkins, and the town is completely blanketed in snow. According to Robles, this creates some new threats. She explained, ‘We were really inspired by the movie Jaws, and this season feels like our take on it.’

Robles is an executive producer on the project, joining the creators of Stranger Things – Matt and Ross Duffer – and Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Levy and Cohen also executive produced the original Stranger Things series through their company, 21 Laps.

Okay, so I’m super excited because all my favorite characters from the show are coming back in the animated series! It’s going to be a little different though – they’ve got a whole new voice cast. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt is doing Eleven now, Luca Diaz is Mike, Benjamin Plessala is Will, Braxton Quinney is Dustin, Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams is Lucas, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport is Max. It’ll be weird hearing new voices, but I’m still hyped!

I’m so excited about the voice cast! Brett Gipson is perfect as Hopper, and Jeremy Jordan as Steve Harrington? Yes, please! Plus, they’ve got Odessa A’zion from Marty Supreme, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Janeane Garofalo joining the team, though they’re keeping their roles a secret for now. It’s shaping up to be amazing!

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is released on Netflix on 23 April.

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2026-02-10 21:20