Showrunner Eric Robles sets the stage for the first “Stranger Things” TV spinoff.

Stranger Things ‘loopholes’ cracked code of animated spinoff: ‘Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter’ (exclusive)

Showrunner Eric Robles sets the stage for the first "Stranger Things" TV spinoff.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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December 17, 2025 10:00 a.m. ET

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Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven and Luca Diaz as Mike on "Stranger Things: Tales From '85". Credit:

- Showrunner Eric Robles previews *Stranger Things: Tales From '85*, the animated spinoff set between seasons 2 and 3 of the mothership.

- Robles teases the big story idea that he describes as "Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter."

- The executive producer describes a horror-adjacent tone: "It's got its bite to it."

*Stranger Things: Tales From '85*, the first TV spinoff connected to the hit Netflix mothership, took awhile to develop because no one could crack its core story puzzle: How do you introduce new creatures without a direct portal into the Upside Down?

Matt and Ross Duffer, the creators of this whole TV empire, were adamant about wanting a 1980s cartoon-inspired animated show set between the events of seasons 2 and 3. But that 1985 setting meant any new story would need to take place after Eleven (played in live-action by Millie Bobby Brown) sealed off the gate to the world of demo-things and Mind Flayers.

Enter Eric Robles, a name from the world of kids' cartoons (*Fanboy & Chum Chum*, *Glitch Techs*, *The X's*).

"I dissected the show, looking for any loopholes. I found a few of 'em," Robles tells **. "And then I found this one idea that I was just like, 'Oh s---! I think that's it.'" What is this big idea? "Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter," he teases, while noting of the closed gateway, "There's a chain reaction to the creatures that are in our world and the things that are popping up."

Lucas (Elisha Williams) and Max (Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) in 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'.

Beyond that, story details remain elusive. It's just too early to dig into those details with an undisclosed premiere down the road in 2026. However, Robles gives EW a rundown of what to expect.

A new cast of younger actors take the roles of familiar characters: 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 also voice undisclosed parts.

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The Duffers, who are currently rolling out the final season of the main *Stranger Things*, oversee *Tales From '85,* though Robles serves as the principal showrunner and executive producer.

Horror comes up a lot while conversing with Robles, but he doesn't necessarily categorize the animated series as a horror show. "It's got its bite to it," he admits. "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* will feature "a lot of freaking cool monsters," Robles further teases, clarifying that "it's not just 'monster of the week' for the sake of 'monster of the week.'" Everything is connected to a season-long mystery.

Benjamin Plessala as Will, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Luca Diaz as Mike, and Braxton Quinney as Dustin on 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85'.

Flying Bark Productions, the animation house behind *What If...?*, is working on *Stranger Things: Tales From '85*. But when it came to the visuals, Robles looked less to Marvel and more to the original posters of *Stranger Things* — the artwork from Kyle Lambert, who heavily pulled from the Spielbergian work of late movie poster artist Drew Struzan.

"Those posters have it all. They have these brilliant colors, there's darks, there's vibrancy to it," he explains. "I'm just like, 'That's the show!' If I can bring those posters to life, I got something pretty awesome. And that's exactly what we did."

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*Stranger Things* season 2 took place during the fall of 1984, while season 3 picked back up months later in the summer of 1985. Apparently, a lot can happen between those dates. Should the animated offshoot work, Robles says any future season will remain under the *Tales From '85* title. His first season progresses hours by hours, day by day.

"If we need to keep going, we definitely can do it," he finishes. "If we were to do the finale of, like, season 25, Dustin's going to camp, Elle and Mike are heavily dating. It would connect perfectly with the timeline in that sense, but allowing to still have enough ample time to tell these stories within as many seasons as needed."**

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