Netflix’s new animated series takes fans back to Hawkins, Ind.

What to know about the *Stranger Things *spinoff Tales From ‘85: Voice cast, timeline, and more

Netflix's new animated series takes fans back to Hawkins, Ind.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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February 2, 2026 3:37 p.m. ET

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'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'. Credit:

- *Tales From '85* is an upcoming animated spinoff of *Stranger Things*.

- It's set in between seasons 2 and 3 of the original series, during the winter of 1985.

- The new Netflix series premieres on April 23.

The beginning of 2026 marked the ending of *Stranger Things*, which aired its divisive final episode on New Year's Eve. And while the series is most certainly finished (sorry, there will be no bonus episode), the franchise is not. In April, a new animated spinoff, *Tales From '85*, will take us back to Hawkins, Ind.

*Stranger Things* co-creator Matt Duffer, who serves as an executive producer on the series along with Ross Duffer, previously told * *that *Tales From '85* was designed to "evoke a feeling of an '80s cartoon." That feeling was manifested with the help of showrunner Eric Robles and Flying Bark Productions, the animation house behind Marvel's *What If...?.*

So, where does *Tales From '85* fit into the grander picture of *Stranger Things*? Will anyone from the original cast be voicing the characters? Here's everything we know about the first *Stranger Things* spinoff.**

What is Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 about?

A monster in 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'.

*Tales From '85* is set in between seasons 2 and 3 of *Stranger Things*, meaning it unfolds during the winter of 1985.

"Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days," reads the official synopsis. "But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely?"

Robles previously told EW the new series is a season-long mystery brimming with "a lot of freaking cool monsters." It has a "bite to it," he added. "The stakes are real for the kids. It's not *Scooby-Doo*, man. It's not like, 'Oh, well, it'll be fine.' We don't know if it'll be fine."

'Stranger Things' cast, then and now: See how the kids have grown since first entering the Upside Down

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He also teased that Dustin (played in the live-action series by Gaten Matarazzo) was be a key player in the spinoff. "[In Seasons 1 and 2 of *Stranger Things*], the kids were running from government agents and monsters from other dimensions, and then it all just went silent after that," Robles said in a chat with Tudum.

"For Dustin, there’s this sense of, 'Well, what else is there?' So when something shows up that isn’t normal and feels very Upside Down, there’s a sense of excitement for him. He feels the need to establish something that is going to be meaningful for them as a small team, but is going to help everybody else. So, he comes up with the Hawkins Investigators Club. That’s his way of saying, 'This is ours. This is how we're going to protect Hawkins.'"**

Is there a Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 trailer?

Longtime fans may get nostalgic watching the trailer for *Tales From '85,* which revisits an era before the stars began to look so much older than their characters.**

A snowstorm is coming to Hawkins in the clip, and something is burrowing under the snow. The creature that emerges shares some DNA with the mothership's infamous Demogorgons, but is something else entirely. It's being pursued by figures in biohazard suits (likely from the Hawkins lab), but eventually crosses paths with our heroes, who witness it mutate into something bigger and even more menacing.

"Something from the Upside Down must have survived last year," posits Dustin (voiced here by Braxton Quinney).

The trailer also highlights visits by Jim Hopper and Steve Harrington, as well as a look at the early days of Lucas and Max's relationship.

Who’s in the Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 cast?

Lucas (Elisha Williams) and Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) on 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'.

While *Tales From '85* centers on familiar faces, it will feature an entirely new cast.

Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, who previously appeared on Apple's *WeCrashed,* leads the voice cast as Eleven, with Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (*Watchmen*) as Max, Luca Diaz (*Migration*) as Mike, Elisha Williams (*The Wonder Years*) as Lucas, Benjamin Plessala (*Turning Red*) as Will, and Quinney as Dustin. Brett Gipson (*Station 19*) will voice Hopper and *Supergirl* alum Jeremy Jordan will step in as Steve.

Rounding out the cast are a trio of notable names: Janeane Garofalo (*Wet Hot American Summer*), Lou Diamond Phillips (*The Chair Company*), and Odessa A'zion, who just turned heads in the Oscar-nominated *Marty Supreme*. As of this writing, it's unclear who they'll be voicing.**

When does Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 come out?

Steve (Jeremy Jordan) and Dustin (Braxton Quinney) on 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'.

*Tales From '85* comes out on April 23, 2026.**

Where can I watch Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85?

*Tales From '85* will be available to stream on Netflix.

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