A new animated series in the Stranger Things universe is streaming on Netflix from today (23 April 2026). Tales From ’85 feature characters from the original in a new battle against the Upside Down.
Stranger Things is one of Netflix’s most-watched originals, achieving record-breaking global viewership by blending supernatural horror, science fiction, and 1980s nostalgia.
“It’s got the thrill of being young, being a kid, and going on these thrilling adventures,” showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles told Tudum, Netflix’s companion site. “But then there’s this essence of real danger, real stakes.
“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.”
Set during the winter in Hawkins, Tales From ’85 follows the original group as they face new threats and investigate a paranormal mystery affecting the town. A new character, Nikki Baxter, joins the story. She is voiced by Odessa A’zion (Marty Supreme, I Love LA).
Tales From ’85 cast and crew
- Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (In Your Dreams) as Max
- Luca Diaz as Mike
- Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas
- Braxton Quinney as Dustin
- Benjamin Plessala as Will
- Brett Gipson as Hopper
- Odessa A’zion as Nikki Baxter
- Jeremy Jordan as Steve
- Janeane Garofalo as Anna Baxter
- Lou Diamond Phillips as Daniel Fischer
- Robert Englund (Victor Creel in Stranger Things) as Cosmo
- Alysia Reiner (Orange Is the New Black, The Diplomat) as Karen Wheeler
- Alessandra Antonelli as Nancy Wheeler
- Valeria Rodriguez as Rosario
- Jack Griffo (The Thundermans franchise, Alexa & Katie) as Jeff
Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of Stranger Things, serve as executive producers through their production company Upside Down Pictures alongside Hilary Leavitt, with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen also executive producing via 21 Laps.
The idea for the series came to the Duffers when they were brainstorming other concepts within the world of Hawkins.
Ross Duffer says: “When we started talking about was there anything else we wanted to do with Stranger Things, this was one of our first ideas.”