Stranger Things is back next week with 10 brand-new episodes!

The animated spinoff of Stranger Things, titled Stranger Things: Tales from ’85, is set to make its return sooner than many fans anticipated. The second season is scheduled to premiere on September 17, just a few months after the first season debuted on April 23. The announcement reveals that this season will revolve around the gang as they delve into the mystery of ghostly apparitions and a horde of bizarre creatures wreaking havoc in their town, all while Valentine’s Day approaches.

For those who might not be familiar, Tales from ’85 is an animated series that takes place between the second and third seasons of the main Stranger Things storyline. 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 concluded.

The first season of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 received a mixed reception, 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 seasons, others felt it fell short, labeling it as 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 produced by Netflix Animation Studios, Upside Down Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment, and Flying Bark Productions, the latter known for its work on projects like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Marvel’s What If…?, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

With Stranger Things concluding its 42-episode journey on December 31, 2025, the emergence of a spinoff is hardly surprising. The series has enjoyed immense popularity, with its third season achieving the title of the most-watched original series on the platform.

As of 2023, a live-action spinoff is reportedly in the works, though no official announcements have been made yet.