The Stranger Things animated spinoff will premiere early in theaters
Beginning in April, ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85’ is set to continue the story of Hawkins.
The Stranger Things animated spinoff will premiere early in theaters
Beginning in April, 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85' is set to continue the story of Hawkins.
By Derek Lawrence
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Derek Lawrence
Derek Lawrence is a former associate editor at **. He left EW in 2022.
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on March 17, 2026 3:22 p.m. ET
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'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'. Credit:
*Stranger Things* is returning to the big screen.
After finding massive success in showing the pop culture phenomenon's series finale in theaters, Netflix has decided to give an early theatrical premiere to the upcoming animated spinoff, *Stranger Things: Tales From '85*.
Executive produced by *Stranger Things* creators Matt and Ross Duffer, the first two episodes of *Tales From '85* will be in select theaters for one day only, April 18, ahead of its April 23 launch on Netflix. At 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. local times, the show will be playing in 34 AMC theaters.
Here's the official logline for the* Stranger Things* continuation: "In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins."
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Many of the beloved *Stranger Things* characters return for *Tales*, which is set between season 2 and 3 of the OG series, only they will be voiced by a new set of actors. Janeane Garofalo, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Odessa A'zion are among the notable additions to the universe.
Showrunner Eric Robles teases a season-long mystery that will include "a lot of freaking cool monsters." "It's got its bite to it," he told EW. "The stakes are real for the kids. It's not Scooby-Doo, man. It's not like, 'Oh, well, it'll be fine.' We don't know if it'll be fine."
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Source: “EW Sci-Fi”