Netflix Greenlights 1950s-Set Stranger Things Spinoff, Other Worlds

Netflix has given the go-ahead to Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, a brand-new live-action prequel that takes the blockbuster sci-fi franchise back to the 1950s. Filming in New Mexico, the series sees original creators the Duffer Brothers taking a back seat as co-creators while handing the creative reins over to showrunner Kate Trefry, the veteran Stranger Things writer behind the First Shadow stage play, with Golden Globe winner Joe Wright (Atonement) directing the opening three episodes. The prequel has locked a 2028 release.

Stranger Things Prequel Details

Featuring a fresh cast and storyline, the plot details remain tightly sealed, though the title, 1950s desert setting, and the Duffers' cryptic "watch the skies" teaser strongly point toward an extraterrestrial or UFO-centric storyline.

“Stranger Things has always belonged to the fans, and their passion made it a worldwide phenomenon,” Netflix scripted head Jinny Howe insisted. “Today, on Stranger Things Day, we’re honored to partner again with Matt and Ross Duffer and Kate Trefry to give fans a new dimension of this universe to step into. Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure takes us to the 1950s with new heroes and all the heart, mystery, and spectacle of the original series.”

“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,” shared Matt and Ross Duffer in a statement. “We’re so grateful to our incredible team of collaborators: our showrunner Kate Trefry, who has been in the trenches with us since season two and wrote Stranger Things: The First Shadow; and our director, Joe Wright, a brilliant artist whose work we’ve long admired. We can’t wait for you to see what they’re cooking up. 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!”

Ever since its 2016 launch, Stranger Things has evolved into an international powerhouse, racking up over 1.2 billion views across four seasons and landing its fourth and fifth installments among Netflix’s top-rated series of all time. The franchise has steadily grown beyond the main show, expanding into animation with two seasons of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 on Netflix, launching interactive destinations like The Immersive Experience in Philadelphia and Face the Dark in Dallas, and staging the prequel play The First Shadow, which concludes its runs at London's Phoenix Theatre on December 27 and Broadway's Marquis Theatre on January 3, 2027.