If you were worried that after Stranger Things 5, we’d have to say goodbye to Hawkins, Indiana, forever, don’t be! The hit Netflix series has already spun off into a Broadway show, and in 2026, we’ll be returning in animated form! Netflix announced that a new show taking place between Season 2 and Season 3 of Stranger Things will arrive next year! Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 gives new insight into what is happening in Hawkins between those seasons, famously after Will (Noah Schnapp) faced the shadow monster, El (Millie Bobby Brown) closed the gate, and we all had to say goodbye to Bob (Sean Astin) before the mall came into town.
Announced on Stranger Things Day, the day that Will Byers went missing back in 1983, the news comes right before fans jump into the final season of the flagship series. The logline for the series is as follows: “Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an epic new animated series.” The first teaser featurette includes the Duffer Brothers talking about the series as well as explaining why this was what they wanted to do next with the franchise.
The World of Hawkins Keeps Growing
Stranger Things, as a show, has had a pretty long run on Netflix despite only having five seasons under its belt. Starting back in 2016, the series is releasing its final season just shy of its 10-year mark. While the show is a smash hit, there is a lot that goes into making Stranger Things special, and shows like Tales From ’85 help to build that world out further, just as the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow has done. As the Duffer Brothers say in the featurette, shows like Tales From ’85 help fans fill out the missing time in the main series with a vibrant new adventure.
Fans of Stranger Things can get ready for Tales From ’85 in 2026 by watching Stranger Things 5 when it drops on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve!
via Collider