Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

Though the beloved Netflix series is ending after season 5, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will further expand the franchise in animated form. Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s biggest hits, revolving around a group of D&D-loving kids who discover monsters lurking in their own town. The show draws influence from ‘80s sci-fi classics, like E.T. and Altered States, to tell stories about supernatural forces invading the American suburbs. Netflix is clearly interested in keeping the franchise alive after the flagship series ends its run, and that includes a cartoon.

The Duffer brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, will serve as executive producers on the animated spinoff alongside Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, and Fanboy & Chum Chum’s Eric Robles. Animated spinoffs from hit streaming series have become popular in recent years, with shows like The Boys Presents: Diabolical expanding their franchise into an exciting new medium. From its Saturday morning cartoon style to the talent involved behind the scenes, Netflix and the Duffer brothers have already released some tantalizing details about the Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 animated series.

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Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Latest News

Netflix Finally Reveals The Full Title For The Cartoon Spinoff

Though much of the upcoming series is still shrouded in mystery, the latest news finds Netflix finally revealing the full name of the Stranger Things animated series. Hearkening back to the nostalgic decade that the show takes place in, the cartoon is now called Stranger Things: Tales From ’85. This means the show will likely take place around the events of season 3, which was also set at the midway point of the 1980s. The title also implies it will follow an anthology approach, focusing on short stories from the time period featuring the show’s main characters.

No further details were announced about the animated spinoff, but Netflix is planning to make it part of their presentation at 2025’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 11. It’s expected that the streamer will offer a closer look at the series at Annecy, and more concrete details will likely start to come out before the impending finale of the main series.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Is Confirmed

The Animated Spinoff Is In The Works

Netflix announced that a Stranger Things animated series was on the way back in 2023, but details were scant. However, the streamer was confident enough in the Stranger Things brand to give its cartoon spinoff a straight-to-series order without a pilot phase. Flying Bark Productions will produce the series, and the Duffer brothers said they’ve “always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things [spin-off],” and that it’s been “absolutely thrilling” to see that dream realized.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will be made like a Saturday morning cartoon, but it’s currently unknown if that means the visuals or the storytelling style. It’s also not known when the series will actually arrive, and there were almost no updates between 2023 and when the title was announced in early 2025. Animation typically takes longer than live-action production, but the Stranger Things franchise is notorious for extended production timelines that stretch on for years at a time.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Cast Details

No Cast Members Have Been Announced Yet

The announcement of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 didn’t include a confirmation of any actors who might appear in the voice cast. It’s unclear if Tales From ’85 will focus on the characters that fans love or an ensemble of brand-new characters. If it does revolve around familiar characters, the producers could either convince actors like Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour to reprise their roles in animated form or recast them with soundalikes (like many of the Marvel actors in the What If…? animated series).

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Story Details

Stranger Things Becomes A Saturday Morning Cartoon

Although the scripts have been completed, plot details for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 are being kept under wraps. However, the Duffer brothers have described the series as being “in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving.” This comparison seems to suggest that Tales From ’85 will depart from the serialized style of the flagship show and adopt an episodic adventure-of-the-week format. Furthermore, the word Tales in the title goes even further to suggest an anthology approach.

Taking a page from shows like The Real Ghostbusters, the animated series could expand the lore of the show without meddling with the current continuity. The animated series could exist in its own sphere that is separate from the live-action series, which could allow for all sorts of imaginative adventures in the Upside Down with a more playful tone than the usual stories. It will be set in 1985, which means Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will take place before, during, or immediately after the Starcourt Mall saga, and could add new insight into the stories that swirled around the mall.