Netflix Teases Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, Animated Adventure Set in 1985 Hawkins

Fans preview the cel-shaded Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, set between Will’s Mind Flayer possession and Starcourt Mall, with retro animation.

Netflix released the first teaser for Stranger Things: Tales From '85 to give viewers a sneak peek at the animated version of the Stranger Things series. The teaser, which has a cel-shaded, stylized style that reimagines the Hawkins crew as if ripped from vintage 1980s cartoons, came alongside a Tudum interview with showrunner Eric Robles.

Tales From ’85 is set during winter 1985 and takes place in the interim between when the Mind Flayer took Will Byers underground and the first appearance of Starcourt Mall. According to Robles, the show is animated by Flying Bark Productions and uses the darker tones of the Stranger Things universe combined with a sense of nostalgia by taking inspiration from episodic classics of the time like He-Man and The Real Ghostbusters. With the absence of a live-action animation practical effect constraint, animation gives Robles and his team more creative freedom to allow them to explore “Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter.”

The voice of Steve Harrington is being provided for the animated project by Jeremy Jordan. It follows closely behind the main part of Stranger Things as the key cast try to help Eleven while the adults aren't even aware of what is happening underground in Hawkins. Robles also explained that the series will provide the same entertainment and suspenseful feeling that Stranger Things fans have come to expect from watching the live-action series, but through its animated format with retro-style animation.

The Duffer Brothers remain involved as executive producers and will ensure that the animated series is in line with the main storyline and larger canon of the Stranger Things franchise. This assistant's goal is to show the audience that what they will see in Tales From '85 will continue the storylines and character development featured in the live-action seasons. Stranger Things: Tales From '85 will bring the Hawkins Universe to life in a bright and colorful way while featuring the same characters that make the original show so popular, with connections to the storylines of the original show.