Summary
- Netflix releases the trailer for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an animated spinoff set between Seasons 2 and 3
- The kids face a new gate and creatures from the Upside Down
- The show premieres exclusively on Netflix on April 23, 2026
The official trailer for Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, an upcoming animated spinoff of the global phenomenon, has been released by Netflix, offering a vibrant and action-packed look at Hawkins through a new lens.
Produced in a stylized 3D animation format, the trailer opens with the familiar group – Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Will – celebrating the return of “normalcy” as they show Eleven around their favorite hangout spots during a snowy Indiana winter. The lighthearted atmosphere, featuring snowball fights and playful banter, is quickly shattered when a mysterious new “gate” opens, unleashing a wave of creatures that suggests something from the Upside Down survived the previous year. The trailer specifically previews a series of high-stakes missions as the group gathers “gear” to stop these monsters before they can harm more people, culminating in a tense standoff where the kids realize they are the only ones standing between Hawkins and “game over.”
Developed as a “love letter” to the 1980s cartoons that inspired the Duffer Brothers, Tales From ‘85 marks the first significant expansion of the Stranger Things universe into animation. The series is set between the events of the second and third seasons, providing a narrative bridge that explores the characters’ growth during the relatively peaceful but increasingly strange year of 1985.
Watch the official trailer above. Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 is scheduled to premiere exclusively on Netflix on April 23, 2026.
