Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Gets Trailer and 23 April Release Date

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 finally has its trailer, release date, and — crucially — the voice of Steve Harrington. Netflix's animated spinoff drops 23 April 2026, with Jeremy Jordan (yes, Lucifer from Hazbin Hotel) taking on everyone's favourite babysitter. UAE viewers can stream it on Netflix the same day as the global release.

What Tales From '85 is actually about

Set in the winter of 1985, after Stranger Things 5 wrapped up the main storyline, the animated series finds Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max settling into normal life. Snow blankets Hawkins, the Upside Down horrors have seemingly faded, and the kids are back to D&D and snowball fights.

Naturally, something terrifying awakens beneath the ice. The trailer shows the gang encountering what looks like a pumpkin monster that evolves into something considerably more unsettling. "We're told something from the Upside Down survived last year," which tracks with the show's timeline perfectly.

"We get to spend time with these kids in a way that you did not have time to in the flagship series," explained showrunner Eric Robles. "We were able to freeze time and really go on these never before told adventures with them in this timeline."

The voice cast (and why Jeremy Jordan matters)

While the animated series features the main Stranger Things characters, they're voiced by new actors rather than the original cast. Jeremy Jordan leads as Steve, bringing his musical theatre background and recent Hazbin Hotel fame to Hawkins' resident hair hero.

The full voice lineup includes Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha "EJ" Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Benjamin Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper. Odessa A'zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips round out the cast in undisclosed roles.

Stakes in a prequel (yes, they insist they exist)

The obvious question: if we know these characters survive to appear in later seasons, where are the stakes? Showrunner Eric Robles anticipated this concern.

"We want the audience to feel that these kids are in danger, the stakes are real, and bad things can happen to anyone," Robles said. "And things do happen that are very scary in a sense, so that really makes the danger for the kids that much more tangible."

Whether that translates to genuine tension remains to be seen, but the creative team seems committed to making this feel consequential rather than just nostalgic filler.

Where this fits in the Stranger Things universe

Tales From '85 arrives after the Duffer Brothers concluded the main series with what they called a definitive ending. The creators have ruled out a sequel checking in on the characters years later, calling such a project "a gross cash grab."

Instead, we're getting this animated interquel plus an unnamed live-action spinoff that will apparently address a plot thread left dangling in the Season 5 finale. Netflix seems committed to expanding the Stranger Things universe without undermining the main story's conclusion — a delicate balance that'll be tested come April.

When and where to watch in UAE

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 launches 23 April 2026 on Netflix globally, including UAE. No specific release time has been announced, but Netflix typically drops new content at 12.01am Pacific Time, which translates to 11.01am GST for UAE viewers.

The series will be available with Arabic subtitles, following Netflix's standard localisation for the region. Episode count and release schedule (weekly versus binge) haven't been confirmed yet.

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