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When the finale of Stranger Things arrives December 31, fans might be left wanting more of Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Max, and the rest of the Hawkins, IN crew — and, it turns out, they won’t have long to wait. The animated Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is coming in 2026, and the series’ showrunner is promising a story that fits firmly inside established lore.

As the title suggests, the animated series takes place in 1985, between the second and third seasons of the original show — and showrunner Eric Robles is determined to give fans a show filled with monsters that won’t screw around with the canon of the original series. Which is to say, Eleven has sealed off the gate to the Upside Down, and he’s not about to re-open it anytime soon… kind of.

"I dissected the [original] show, looking for any loopholes. I found a few of 'em," Robles explained to Entertainment Weekly. "And then I found this one idea that I was just like, 'Oh s---! I think that's it.'"

Of course, Robles won’t spoil the new idea entirely, but he did tease that it has something to do with "Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter.” Want to know more? Of course you do, but all we get is, "There's a chain reaction to the creatures that are in our world and the things that are popping up." (You do remember the familiar face in the teaser video, right…?)

Although the new spin-off is animated, Robles promises that it’s not an overly simplistic safe take on the material. 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.”

Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 launches at some undisclosed point in 2026. Already, it feels like too long of a wait.

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

• How to watch Stranger Things in chronological or release order
• Getting to know the Stranger Things season 5 cast
• There needs to be more death in Stranger Things, says co-star Gaten Matarazzo
• The Stranger Things time jump between season 4 and 5 has been confirmed by Netflix - and it raises some serious questions
• "They land the plane," David Harbour describes the Stranger Things finale, which he calls its "best episode"