Netflix has officially expanded its flagship sci-fi franchise this week, offering fans a return to Hawkins following the conclusion of the main live-action series. The streaming platform released the second season of its animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from '85, on Thursday, September 17, 2026.
The premiere comes less than five months after the animated show’s initial debut in April. The rapid release highlights the strategy to maintain viewership momentum now that the live-action television series has concluded. Stranger Things officially brings Eleven back alongside the original core group of characters to explore previously unrevealed events within the established timeline.
The Return to 1985
The animated series was developed by Eric Robles and Jennifer Muro to bridge the narrative gaps within the original franchise. Specifically, Tales from '85 takes place during the winter months between the events of live-action Season 2 and Season 3. This setting allows the franchise to feature the main characters during their younger years in Hawkins.
In Season 2, the story unfolds around Valentine's Day. The narrative follows the Hawkins Investigators Club as they deal with the aftermath of their previous battle against the Horde Queen. According to official loglines released by Netflix, the characters are forced to investigate a series of paranormal events, including ghostly apparitions and a swarm of "hate sprites," to prevent a new gateway to the Upside Down from opening.
The new season consists of eight episodes, which reflects a slight reduction from the 10-episode format utilized during the show's first season earlier this year.
Production and Voice Cast Details
While the animated series features the likenesses of the original characters, it relies on a different voice cast rather than the live-action actors. In the animated format, the character of Eleven is voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt instead of Millie Bobby Brown.
The ensemble voice cast also features:
- Luca Diaz
- Braxton Quinney
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport
- Elisha "EJ" Williams
- Benjamin Plessala
- Odessa A'zion
The production team designed the series to mirror the aesthetic style of Saturday-morning cartoons from the 1980s. Show creators noted that using animation allows the franchise to depict supernatural elements and monsters that would be logistically or financially impractical to produce in a live-action format.
Context of the Franchise and Future Projects
The quick turnaround of the animated series arrives as Netflix manages its transition away from the core live-action series that began in 2016. The main live-action show wrapped up filming its final season in December 2024 and aired its concluding episodes through late 2025.
Though Tales from '85 provides an immediate avenue for character appearances, separate projects within the expanded universe are moving forward without the original cast. Series creators Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer have confirmed that an upcoming live-action spin-off series is currently in development. However, the Duffer brothers stated that the upcoming project will focus on a completely new storyline with no shared characters from the original Hawkins narrative.
Concurrently, members of the original live-action cast have transitioned into other projects. Millie Bobby Brown is currently attached to several feature films and recently expanded her work with Netflix on other franchise properties, including Enola Holmes 3. David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown are also reportedly collaborating on an upcoming thriller series for the streaming platform.
All episodes of Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Season 2 are currently available for streaming exclusively on Netflix.
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