Popular sci-fi thriller Stranger Things ended its journey earlier this month after five seasons. However, the final chapter drew severe backlash online, as fans expressed their disappointment over its plotholes and boring and predictable ending.
Now, fans have pinned their hopes on a new animated prequel series that reportedly promises a new take on the story. Titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, the upcoming Netflix series is set in the Stranger Things universe between Seasons 2 and 3.
According to the logline, the year is 1985, it’s a freezing winter in Hawkins, and our heroes are about to embark on an epic journey where “the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorising their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.”
The upcoming series is expected to rewrite a portion of the franchise’s tale, which is expected to fill in gaps left incomplete by the live-action series.
As per the synopsis, the animated prequel will take the audience on a journey back to Hawkins and to a time when the Upside Down was still a looming threat. The lead cast, Eleven, Mike, Will, Lucas, Dustin and Max, will all return in younger, animated form. However, the original cast members won’t be returning as the voice artists this time.
Joining the Hawkins adventure are Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, Brett Gipson as Hopper, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips.
According to showrunners Eric Robles, Matt and Ross Duffer, the prequel series will introduce more lethal giant creatures. The series, which is inspired by 1980s cartoons, blends nostalgic aesthetics with intense supernatural themes while preserving the show's core emotional, character-driven storytelling.
Much to the surprise of the fans, the animated series is set to introduce a new character named Nikki Baxter, who is described as ‘a tinker’, and has pinkish hair. Fans are speculating that since this character hasn’t been introduced in the original show, she might have met with a tragic end or have left Hawkins during the time gap of Seasons 2 and 3.
Also, since the gate to the Upside Down has been closed by Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in Season 2, this animated series is expected to explore the other looming horrors, like new paranormal forces and unexplained monsters, and will offer a better understanding of the concept of the parallel world.
Netflix recently dropped a new documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things Season 5.