Eleven, Will, and Hawkins gang are back for new “Stranger Things” show

Netflix is returning to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a new animated spinoff series arriving April 23. 

Set between Seasons 2 and 3, the show reunites Eleven, Mike, Will, Max, Lucas and Dustin as they take on a fresh threat in the winter of 1985. 

The project comes from showrunner Eric Robles and Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, marking the franchise’s first major expansion into animation.

Why It Matters

The series offers fans a way to revisit the original group long before the events of the final season of Stranger Things.

Robles said the animated format lets the team tell stories that feel familiar but deliver a different kind of energy. 

“It’s got the thrill of being young, being a kid, and going on these thrilling adventures. But then there’s this essence of real danger, real stakes,” he told Netflix’s Tudum. The Duffers also endorsed the approach, saying they “couldn’t be more blown away” by Robles’ vision and promising, “The adventure continues.”

What To Know

Created by Robles along with Matt and Ross Duffer, and executive-produced by them and Hilary Leavitt, Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, the series revisits Hawkins at a “freezing winter” moment where the familiar group “must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town,” according to the logline.

Robles emphasized how rare it is to revisit the kids from this point in the timeline. “This is one of the rarest opportunities that we’re ever going to get to be with the main characters. We get to go back in time and really just hang out with these kids,” he said, adding, “We soon learn that nothing is quite as they thought it was.”

The Duffers said the idea for the animated series emerged early when discussing ways to expand the Stranger Things universe. “When we started talking about was there anything else we wanted to do with Stranger Things, this was one of our first ideas.”

As an animated series, the show will also introduce new voice actors for well-known characters. 

Brooklyn Davey Norstedt will be the voice of Eleven, with Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, and Benjamin Plessala as Will. Brett Gipson voices Hopper, Jeremy Jordan plays Steve, and Odesa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips also join the series.

What Happens Next

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 debuts April 23 on Netflix, giving fans an animated bridge between key chapters in the franchise. More details, including trailers and additional artwork and trailers, are expected to roll out in the coming weeks as Netflix ramps up promotion.