Stranger Things: Tales From 85 Had to Invent New Rules to Expand the Upside Down
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Stranger Things: Tales from 85 showrunner Eric Robles discusses how the upcoming animated Netflix series had to invent a brand new mythology to avoid conflicting with the main show's canon.
The final episode of Stranger Things may have wrapped up at the end of 2025, but the franchise is far from finished. Netflix is set to drop the animated midquel Stranger Things: Tales from 85 on April 23, giving fans a chance to head back to Hawkins. According to a recent interview with Polygon by reporter Sam Nelson, showrunner Eric Robles spoke about how the project came to life after an initial pitch meeting with series creators Ross and Matt Duffer stretched from thirty minutes into a ninety-minute brainstorming session.
Because production on the animated series happened in parallel with the flagship show, the creative team faced a major challenge. They needed to tell a compelling story without stepping on the toes of the main continuity or interfering with the lore the Duffers were building. To solve this, Robles and his writers had to invent an entirely new mythology for the midquel. They combined existing elements of the Upside Down and Hawkins Lab to introduce a mutating plant monster capable of attacking the town in multiple forms, carving out a distinct sandbox set in the gap between seasons 2 and 3.
For modern audiences who treat universes like Stranger Things as ongoing entertainment hubs rather than standard television shows, expanding a world through different mediums is standard practice. Whether it is transmedia storytelling, tie-in games, or animated spinoffs, keeping a community engaged between major releases requires careful worldbuilding. Tales from 85 looks to deliver on that front by capturing the nostalgic energy of hanging out with the original crew while introducing fresh threats that respect the broader canon.
Tags: Stranger Things, Netflix, Animation, Streaming, Entertainment
Original article: Polygon