Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Set for an Early Comeback

Netflix has just unveiled its fall lineup, and fans of the franchise will be excited to hear that *Stranger Things: Tales from ’85* is making its return sooner than expected. The second season is set to premiere on September 17, 2026, just a few months after the first season dropped on April 23. The announcement hints at an intriguing storyline: “With Valentine’s Day approaching, the gang must uncover the truth behind ghostly apparitions and a swarm of strange creatures wreaking havoc in town.”

For those who might not be in the loop, *Tales from ’85* is an animated spin-off of *Stranger Things*, taking place between the second and third seasons of the main series. The show was greenlit for a second season shortly after its initial release, suggesting that the animation studio Flying Bark Productions was likely hard at work on the next episodes well before the first season aired.

The inaugural season of *Stranger Things: Tales from ’85* received a mixed bag of reactions, earning a 63% critics’ score and a 52% user score on Rotten Tomatoes. While some viewers appreciated its ability to recapture the charm of earlier *Stranger Things* seasons, others felt it fell short, labeling it a somewhat lackluster midquel.

Eric Robles and Jennifer Muro were behind the development of the first season, with Robles also taking on the role of showrunner. The original creators, the Duffer Brothers, served as executive producers. The series was brought to life by Netflix Animation Studios, Upside Down Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Flying Bark Productions, the latter known for its work on *Avatar: The Last Airbender*, *Marvel’s What If…?*, *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, and more.

With *Stranger Things* concluding its 42-episode journey on December 31, 2025, a spin-off was a natural progression. The series has enjoyed immense popularity, with its third season breaking records as the most-watched original series on Netflix. As of 2023, a live-action spin-off was in the works, though no official announcements have been made yet.