Netflix has finally revealed the title of Stranger Things' animated spin-off – and it seems as if we're going back in time. The new series is officially called Stranger Things: Tales From '85, which diehard fans will know as the year Hawkins' Starcourt Mall was built... and burned down following Eleven and co's explosive battle with the Mind Flayer.
"We've always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realized has been absolutely thrilling," the original show's creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who are credited as producers this time around, told Tudum. "We couldn't be more blown away by what [showrunner] Eric Robles and his team have come up with – the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can't wait to share more with you! The adventure continues …"
Season 4 of Stranger Things was set in March 1986, while the next batch of episodes reportedly take place in the fall of 1987, so the spin-off is definitely going to plug some gaps from those earlier years.
Ahead of the hit show's fifth and final season, which is slated to release in late 2025, the Stranger Things universe has been expanding elsewhere, too. Following its successful ongoing run in London's West End, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a play that explores Henry Creel AKA Vecna's teenage years, has recently opened on Broadway.
Having been seemingly defeated at the end of season 4, Vecna is geared up to return in Stranger Things season 5, a twist predicted by Noah Schapp's Will in the finale. After it was revealed that Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell-Bower) was behind the Hawkins murders and the creation of the Mind Flayer, the Upside Down looked to be leaking into the real world at the end of the finale... With Max in a coma and Eddie (Joseph Quinn) having sacrificed himself, can our favorite Dungeons & Dragons-playing nerds stop him before it's too late?
Rumor has it that the new chapter will be split in two, with the first landing in October before the second drops in November. While we wait for confirmation, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.
