‘Stranger Things’ Spin-Off Showrunner Breaks Down the Secrets of the New Series

April 20, 2026

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The first season of Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers, debuted on Netflix back in 2016 with relatively little promotion. Like many all-new series for the streamer, the project relied on word of mouth to build excitement, especially given that the show was largely devoid of familiar faces. That debut season took the world by storm, quickly making it one of the most talked-about shows of any genre of the 2010s. Understandably, this also meant lots of secrecy about what each season would explore, right up until last year, which saw the release of the series finale.

The original series may be done, but we don’t have to say goodbye to this world quite yet, as this week will see the release of the franchise’s first TV spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales from ’85. It was hard for audiences to say goodbye to the characters in the Season 5 finale, to the point that some people speculated that there was a secret episode that would ultimately be released that would change the reality of that final episode. To say the series’ following is passionate would be an understatement.

While speaking with MovieWeb about the new series, showrunner Eric Robles addressed the pressure of developing a new storyline for such a devoted fan base. The biggest advantage he had with the story, however, was that he’s as passionate about the series as anyone:

“I’m just one of those fans right now. Will I check every single human’s box of what they want out of this thing? I’m just going to do my best. I’m a storyteller by nature. I’m a fan by nature. I’m a big nerd myself. I love film. I grew up in the ’80s, I grew up at the time when all this stuff was happening. Video games, going to the arcades, going to 7-Elevens, all of that stuff. Riding my bike and getting into my own trouble. So look, I’m going to do my best to just do what I do. And the only thing I could promise you is I’m doing it from the heart. That’s it.

“I’m not here to say, ‘Oh, I’m the keeper of this.’ I’m just telling stories, and I’m having a great time with my team doing it. And we are doing it with as much care as we can, while having a great time doing it, and really just entertaining ourselves, which I think should come first, is, are you having fun? And that’s why I asked the team. I was like, ‘Are we having fun? Is this great? Are we excited about it?’ Again, the best thing I do is come from the heart. If I take on the pressure of the world, of like, ‘Don’t mess this up, and it’s got to be perfect,’ then I don’t think I’d be able to even start this project. But if I do it out of pure excitement, and I think that’s what we’ve done, is created a really fun adventure. I think that’s going to come through in the work.”

A key element of this series is that, rather than exploring superfluous figures, we follow our young protagonists from the main series. This will understandably heighten the expectations of viewers, but Robles also thinks this could serve as a bit of a salve for everyone who misses the characters we seemingly said goodbye to just a few months ago.

“One other thing I’ll put out there for you, is that the big thing I put out there, and this is why I’m so excited about this show, is we get to hang out with our best friends again. I was so sad after Season 5, man,” Robles explained. “By the way, I’m working on the series, and I’m emotionally sad about Season 5. And then, a week later, when they showed me the teaser trailer that we did, and I got emotional, dude. I got emotional because I’m like, ‘Oh, right, we get to hang out with these kids at a time when they were just kids and before they had to worry about saving the world and they could just focus on saving Hawkins.’ And then we can go on these great adventures and on these journeys with them all over again.”

Will, Nikki and the rest of the Hawkins group in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85

Netflix

With Robles having grown up in the ’80s, he was innately aware of the stories that most excited him back then, so he was also quite aware of the things that excited our protagonists. More specifically, Robles cited a 1985 horror movie that helped inspire this specific story:

“When I went back to think about what the possibilities were, being a kid from the ’80s, I watched a lot of movies, man. The one that stood out for me when I was thinking about this show, in particular, was Reanimator.

“And so I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t, Reanimator, man. Hold on, wait, what if Upside Down matter that’s dead meets Hawkins lab science? And we find a way to bring these organic, dead vines and stuff back to life.’ Then, because you’re now mutating this thing, it now can create new creatures that are still technically Upside Down-related, allowing for this frozen moment in time to now start expanding and creating its own narrative.”

The timeline of the overall franchise and the mythology this show introduces will understandably cause some audiences to claim there are plot holes or that the series is being retconned. Robles himself is well aware of the fact that there could be some discrepancies.

“Now, fans might be like, ‘I don’t remember Eleven talking about pumpkin creatures,’ and that’s fine,” Robles confessed. “Look, all we’re doing is just telling adventures and stories. If you want to go along for the ride and just have a good time with us, that’s all we’re doing. Are we going to fit perfectly right back into that? I don’t know, but we’re going to do our best, and I can promise you we’re going to have fun on this ride.”

All episodes of Season 1 of Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 drop on Netflix on Apr. 23.