Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Teaser Trailer: Netflix's Biggest Hit Returns In Animation

Netflix's biggest hit ever finally came to a close with the series finale of "Stranger Things" on the last day of 2025 ... or did it? Because no good thing can ever truly end, the streaming giant had already made plans for an animated spin-off of the mega-popular series. Titled "Stranger Things: Tales From '85," the nostalgic property is set to double down on all those warm and fuzzy feelings from the 1980s, and we've finally received our first real look at the show with a new teaser. Check it out above!

Seriously, it was only a matter of time before one of Netflix's biggest (and most expensive) brands ever made a comeback. As far as blatant franchise expansion plays go, however, perhaps there's at least some merit to going the animated route. "Tales From '85" is a new prequel series set between seasons 2 and 3 of the original live-action show, and though it was executive produced by the Duffer Brothers, it's otherwise relied on new talent altogether — which includes different voice actors taking over fan-favorite roles.

As divisive as "Stranger Things" season 5 may have been in the end, those involved clearly hope for a return to form here, and, well, the jury remains out.

You didn't think we'd seen the last of "Stranger Things," did you? Netflix's almighty algorithm took note of all that viewership rolling in throughout the final season (and even the returns from that theatrical rollout for the finale) and the dollar signs accompanying those numbers, so this merely feels like an inevitability we all saw coming. Nevertheless, it'll be up to "Tales From '85" to attempt to convince audiences that this is a vital new chapter that needed to be told, as opposed to a blatant and otherwise transparent attempt to recapture the same magic from before.

That may be an uphill battle for a number of reasons. As overseen by showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles, the series boasts a fresh cast despite focusing on many of the same "Stranger Things" characters, including voice actors Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Elisha Williams as Lucas, Luca Diaz as Mike, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper.

Between this and the "Stranger Things" stage play "The First Shadow," it's clear that the powers that be remain committed to milking this property for as much as it's worth. That's certainly led to plenty of worthwhile entertainment in the past, but the question remains whether fans will be convinced or not. Either way, "Stranger Things: Tales From '85" debuts on Netflix on April 23, 2026. Here's the official logline:

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.