Archive · 28 Jan 2026
Netflix Rewrites Stranger Things Lore with Animated Prequel
Netflix is making a new animated series called Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.
It's a prequel that takes place between the second and third seasons of the original show.
The series will feature younger versions of the main characters and introduce a new character named Nikki Baxter.
The show will explore new monsters and mysteries in Hawkins, the town from the original series.
Fans are excited but also have questions about how this new story will fit with the original timeline.
The animated series is expected to come out in 2026, and there are also plans for other Stranger Things projects in the future.
Netflix is producing an animated prequel series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original show.
The prequel introduces a new character, Nikki Baxter, who is part of the core group in the animated series but was never mentioned in the original series.
Key original characters like Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, and Max will return in younger, animated forms, voiced by a new cast.
The series will explore new monsters and paranormal mysteries in Hawkins, maintaining the spirit of the original series with a classic 1980s animated style.
Fans have mixed reactions, with some excited about the new adventures and others questioning how the prequel will fit into the established continuity.
- Who
- Netflix, Eric Robles, Matt and Ross Duffer
- What
- An animated prequel series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85
- When
- Set in the winter of 1985, expected to release in 2026
- Where
- Hawkins, Indiana
- Why
- To expand the Stranger Things universe and fill in gaps between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original series
- Series Title
- Stranger Things: Tales From ’85
- Setting
- Winter of 1985, between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original series
- New Character
- Nikki Baxter
- Release Year
- 2026 (expected)
- Key Characters
- Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin, Max (in younger, animated form)
- Showrunner
- Eric Robles
- Executive Producers
- Matt and Ross Duffer
