Netflix has announced a prequel series to Stranger Things titled Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, scheduled for release in 2028. The announcement came on Friday, November 6, also known as Stranger Things Day, which marks the anniversary of the fictional date Will Byers went missing in Hawkins, Indiana, in 1983.
Trailer Reveals 1955 Setting
The news was shared via a trailer posted on Instagram. The trailer shows a bicycle abandoned on its side beside a 1950s-style radio, with the camera panning to a warning sign indicating the bicycle is in a restricted area. A cluster of ominous clouds appears in the sky, with text reading: "April 19, 1955. Marion, Nevada."
A burst of lightning forces the clouds apart and abruptly ends the trailer, which is captioned: "Before Hawkins, there was Marion. Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure. New series only on Netflix, 2028."
Production and Creative Team
Production on the prequel will take place in New Mexico, with casting reportedly due to begin shortly. Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer will serve as executive producers on the prequel.
The Duffer Brothers said: "We've been dreaming of Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure for many years now, and to see it become a reality is surreal and exhilarating. 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!"
Kate Trefry, who is showrunner, co-creator and writer on the new show, said it is an "insane honour and privilege to be bringing this new chapter of Stranger Things to life". She added: "With the support of Netflix and (production company) 21 Laps, we have had the time of our lives returning to all the horror, wonder and mystery of the flagship, while also telling a wholly new story, one we hope will blow your minds and break your hearts all over again. There are so many more mysteries to explore. Welcome to Other Worlds."
Expanding the Franchise
While the original series was set in the remote town of Hawkins, Indiana, the prequel will take place in the fictional town of Marion, Nevada, on the other side of the country. The upcoming series is set decades before the events of Stranger Things, which takes place in the 1980s.
It also predates the events of the theatre show Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which explores the troubled past of Henry Creel in Hawkins in 1959. The award-winning play explores the character's origins and his eventual transformation into the otherworldly creature Vecna, the antagonist of the TV series.
The franchise has become a global phenomenon and expanded with several spin-offs, including the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85. Further details about Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure are yet to be announced.
