Netflix has unveiled the first teaser trailer and a 2028 release window for its live-action Stranger Things prequel series, titled Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure. The new show will expand the popular franchise with a fresh narrative set in the 1950s, featuring entirely new characters, themes, and mythology.
The series is a collaboration between Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers and writer Kate Trefry. The teaser hints at a setting in Marion, Nevada, on April 19, 1955, with visuals of a discarded bicycle near a fenced-off restricted area marked "Use of deadly force authorized." The camera then pans to a mysterious, lit facility against the night sky. Golden Globe-winning director Joe Wright is set to direct the first three episodes.
According to Jinny Howe, Netflix Head of Scripted Series, US & Canada, the prequel aims to offer fans a new dimension of the Stranger Things universe, retaining the original series' signature heart, mystery, and spectacle. Matt and Ross Duffer expressed their excitement for the project, describing it as a long-held dream and noting that while it connects to the existing lore, it will feel "thrillingly fresh."
The Duffer Brothers have suggested that Other Worlds will delve into plot threads left unresolved in the main series, particularly concerning the mysterious rock discovered in Henry Creel's briefcase in the Season 5 finale. This rock, revealed to contain Mind Flayer particles, plays a crucial role in how Henry gained his powers and became entwined with the Mind Flayer. While the canon play Stranger Things: The First Shadow touches upon events leading to Henry's transformation, the new series is expected to provide a more direct explanation.
Initially conceived as a "clean slate" with "no common characters," the prequel's connection to the broader Stranger Things mythology, particularly the origins of the rock, suggests it will answer lingering questions about the universe's foundational elements. Production for Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure is slated to take place in New Mexico.