Netflix turns to theaters to launch ‘Stranger Things’ animated spin‑off

Netflix is inviting fans back into the supernatural world of "Stranger Things" with limited theatrical screenings of its upcoming animated series, "Stranger Things: Tales From ’85," the streaming platform announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Netflix NFLX.O said select AMC theaters will host special screenings of the first two episodes beginning April 18, ahead of the show’s global release on April 23.

The screenings will take place in 34 theaters across the United States, as well as at the Paris Theater in New York and Netflix House Philadelphia.

The animated series reunites "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer as executive producers, alongside showrunner Eric Robles, best known for creating the animated Nickelodeon series, "Fanboy & Chum Chum."

Set in the winter of 1985, the series finds Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max having settled back into something resembling normal life — filled with Dungeons & Dragons games, snowball fights and quiet days in Hawkins, Indiana. But peace is short‑lived, as something terrifying awakens, forcing the group to band together once more to solve a mystery and save their town.

"Tales From ’85" marks the latest expansion of the "Stranger Things" universe, which has continued to grow since the Duffers launched their production company Upside Down Pictures in 2022 under an overall deal with Netflix. That agreement also includes a planned live‑action "Stranger Things" spin‑off series.

Beyond television, the franchise has expanded into a Tony Award‑winning Broadway stage play, video games, cosplay, immersive live experiences and a wide range of merchandise.

"Stranger Things," which premiered in 2016, follows a group of adolescent friends in rural Indiana during the 1980s as they confront monsters from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. The series quickly became one of Netflix’s biggest breakout hits.

-Reporting by Danielle Broadway and Jane Ross; Editing by Andrea Ricci/Reuters