Get ready to enter the Upside Down in a completely different form — a new animated version of the Stranger Things universe is officially in the works at Netflix.
As reported by Variety, the series is still in its very, very early stages, so not a lot is known about what's to come, like the voice cast or the exact plot. However, original Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers are set to executive produce the new show, and creator Eric Robles and Flying Bark Productions are also attached.
What has been confirmed is that the animated series will be set within the same world as the original show. And just like the original series itself, the animated Stranger Things series will harken back to the '80s with a nostalgic inspiration and retro feel.
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“We’ve always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realized has been absolutely thrilling,” the Duffer Bros. shared in a statement. "We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with — the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you! The adventure continues…”
Just thinking about how awesome the Demogorgon will look animated already has us hyped. But will our fave characters return in animated versions, or will a whole new crew of Hawkins kids star in this spinoff series? The answer is currently a big TBD.
We've got quite a while to wait for Stranger Things season 5 (which allegedly won't hit the streaming service until 2025), but the Hawkins universe just keeps on expanding. Another spin-off series — this one live-action, that Finn Wolfhard correctly guessed the plot of — is currently in the works, as well as a stage play titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is set for its first performance in London's West End in November 2023.
While both of these new Stranger Things properties won't focus on the Hawkins kids, they are both “rooted in the mythology” of the original series. Variety reported back in March 2023 that the stage play will be set in 1959 Hawkins, when it was just “a regular town with regular worries."
“Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town,” reads the stage play’s official synopsis. “When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.” Per the production's description, The First Shadow will detail the beginning of the Stranger Things story while possibly holding “the key to the end.” Hm…
Details remain shrouded in mystery regarding this latest Stranger Things spinoff announcement, but while we wait for the animated show, you can always take a trip to Hawkins (or the Upside Down, if you're brave), by rewatching the OG series in preparation. Who's with me?
