You might have thought the gates to the Upside Down were firmly shut after the final season, but Netflix clearly has other plans! As part of this year’s Stranger Things Day celebrations, the streamer has announced ‘Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure‘, a brand-new live-action prequel to ‘Stranger Things’, which is set to arrive in 2028.
Rather than returning to the familiar 1980s setting, the new series is taking things much further back, all the way to the 1950s. That places it decades before Eleven and her friends began uncovering the supernatural secrets of Hawkins, Indiana, and even before the events of ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’, the award-winning stage play which explored Henry Creel’s troubled past in Hawkins in 1959.
While Netflix is keeping the actual plot firmly under wraps, the spin-off promises an entirely new setting, new heroes and villains, and fresh mythology to explore. So, don’t expect simply another adventure featuring the original Hawkins gang. This is being positioned as something that shares the DNA of the original series while heading into unexplored territory.
Behind the scenes, there’s plenty of familiar talent involved. Kate Trefry, who has been a writer on ‘Stranger Things’ since Season 2 and wrote the stage play ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’, will serve as co-creator, writer, showrunner and executive producer.
She’ll be joined by BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning director Joe Wright, whose credits include Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Darkest Hour. Wright will direct the first three episodes and serve as an executive producer, with production taking place in New Mexico.
Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer will also be heavily involved as co-creators and executive producers through their Upside Down Pictures banner.
The Duffer Brothers are understandably excited about finally bringing the project to life, having apparently been developing the idea for years. However, they’re not giving too much away about exactly what they’ve got planned.
“It’s Stranger Things, but also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains, and new… actually, we’re not allowed to say any more. Now, on to casting. In the meantime — watch the skies, nerds!”
Well, that’s not ominous at all… Watch the skies? Are we heading into some sort of 1950s UFO conspiracy territory? It’s certainly an interesting tease, although the brothers are clearly having fun keeping us guessing!
For Trefry, the project marks another major chapter in her relationship with the franchise, which began when the Duffers gave her what she describes as her first paying job in Hollywood.
“There are so many more mysteries to explore. Welcome to Other Worlds.”
Shawn Levy and his 21 Laps Entertainment are also returning as executive producers, alongside Paul Dichter, Shelley Meals, Andrea Sperling and Pavlina Hatoupis.
The announcement comes as Netflix continues to expand the franchise beyond the original five-season series. Alongside the stage production, fans can already dive into the animated spin-off ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’, which follows the Hawkins gang during the freezing winter of 1985 as they investigate another paranormal mystery. Both seasons are currently streaming on Netflix.
Of course, the biggest question is exactly what kind of supernatural nightmare awaits us in the 1950s. Given the era, there’s plenty of potential for Cold War paranoia, secret government experiments and classic sci-fi horror influences, all of which could fit rather nicely into the ‘Stranger Things’ universe. However, Netflix isn’t revealing the actual story just yet.
There’s also no cast announced at this stage, although the Duffers’ comments suggest that casting is next on the agenda.
For now, it looks like we’ve got another couple of years before we find out what else has been lurking in this universe. One thing’s certain, though: just because the original series has ended, it doesn’t mean Netflix is finished turning our world upside down!
‘Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure‘ premieres in 2028 on Netflix.
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