Netflix is taking steps to bring Stranger Things to a younger audience as the main series approaches its long-awaited finale. While the live-action show has appealed to viewers of all ages, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 will seemingly target kids more directly, using 3D animation to soften the series’ darker moments while keeping the original fans engaged.
Set in the time between seasons 2 and 3, Tales From ’85 allows the story to explore Hawkins in a way the live-action show never could. It recalls the strategy Netflix used with its animated Jurassic TV shows, Camp Cretaceous and Chaos Theory, which introduced the franchise to younger viewers and created a broader entry point for new fans.
The upcoming Stranger Things series’ visual style takes cues from ’80s cartoons, with Matt Duffer describing it as intended to “evoke a feeling of an ’80s cartoon,” and showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles pointing to The Real Ghostbusters as a creative inspiration. A teaser and featurette have already been released, offering insights from Matt and Ross Duffer and Robles. Watch it below:
The animated cast features an all-new cast, which means that the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and David Harbour won't be reprising their roles.
There's Brett Gipson as Jim Hopper, Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven/Jane Hopper, Braxton Quinney as Dustin Henderson, Elisha Williams as Lucas Sinclair, Ben Plessala as Will Byers, and Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max Mayfield. Other characters, including Nancy Wheeler, will also appear.
Related: ‘Stranger Things’ Finale Breaks Netflix-Only Tradition
With seasons 1–4 and the first volume of season 5 (episodes 1–4) now streaming on Netflix, and the finale arriving at the end of the year, Tales From ’85 offers an exciting way for kids to dive into the Hawkins universe after the live-action series officially concludes.
Are you excited about Tales From '85? Let us know in the comments below!
