Netflix Finally Unveils Its Live-Action ‘Stranger Things’ Prequel, and It’s Heading to Nevada
Hawkins may be in the rearview mirror, but the Upside Down isn’t finished with us yet. Netflix has spent months building toward a live-action ‘Stranger Things’ prequel, and fans who weren’t ready to say goodbye finally have something concrete. ‘Stranger Things’ ended after 5 seasons on Dec. 31, 2025, and the show’s creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, had already been working on an animated series and a live-action show.
The live-action project stayed mysterious for a long time. The Duffers described it as a “clean slate”, and they told Deadline they were actively working on the spinoff, which would introduce all-new characters, even though they were leaving Netflix for Paramount. In the meantime, fans had the animated ‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ and the stage play ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’.
Now it has a name and a date. Netflix has officially announced ‘Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure’, a live-action prequel set in Nevada in 1955 that is scheduled to premiere in 2028. The announcement came as part of “Stranger Things” Day, the annual celebration marking the day Will Byers disappeared in the original show, Nov. 6, 1983.
The teaser doesn’t show much, but it is atmospheric. The camera pans up to a cloudy sky before a title card reads “April 19, 1955, Marion, Nevada,” and a thunderous sound breaks open the skies to reveal what could be another version of the Upside Down.
The timeline puts it before everything fans already know. It is a prequel set before ‘Stranger Things’ and before ‘The First Shadow’, and takes place just a couple of years before the events of the Nevada experiment in ‘The First Shadow’. According to Nerdist, the new series will reveal how the rock that turned Henry Creel into a monster came to this world.
First teaser for the ‘STRANGER THINGS’ prequel series. “Before Hawkins there was Marion, Nevada.” Coming to Netflix in 2028. https://t.co/HfWMVuNbEu
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 6, 2026
The Duffers are handing the keys to a familiar collaborator. They will serve as co-creators but have otherwise handed creative duties to longtime ‘Stranger Things’ writer Kate Trefry, who also wrote ‘The First Shadow’ stage play, and Golden Globe-winning director Joe Wright, who will direct the first 3 episodes. Trefry got her first television staff writing job on ‘Stranger Things’, wrote her first stage play with ‘The First Shadow’, and is now creating her first TV series with ‘Other Worlds’.
Wright is a major get. He is best known for directing ‘Atonement’, the Gary Oldman-led Winston Churchill drama ‘Darkest Hour ‘, and the Keira Knightley-led ‘Pride & Prejudice’. Executive producers include Matt and Ross Duffer through Upside Down Pictures, Shawn Levy through 21 Laps Entertainment, Joe Wright, Paul Dichter, Shelley Meals, Andrea Sperling and Pavlina Hatoupis. Even though it takes place in Marion, Nevada, the series will film in New Mexico.
Netflix has announced a live-action ‘STRANGER THINGS’ prequel titled ‘OTHER WORLDS: A STRANGER THINGS ADVENTURE’. The series is set in 1955 Nevada and is scheduled to premiere in 2028. https://t.co/FLHLssPoVF
— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) November 6, 2026
Everyone involved seems excited, if careful with details. In their statement, the Duffers said they had been dreaming of the series for years and called it surreal to see it finally happen, while promising a new setting, new heroes and new villains. They also praised Trefry for working alongside them since Season 2.
Trefry was just as enthusiastic. She credited the Duffers with giving her her first paid job in Hollywood and called it a great honor to bring this new chapter to life with Wright. Netflix’s Jinny Howe added that the show will bring fans to the 1950s with new heroes and all the heart, mystery, and spectacle of the original series.
At long last… we can begin. The trailer for the epic final season of STRANGER THINGS is here https://t.co/w4WuzuCqRs
— stranger things (@Stranger_Things) October 30, 2025
Plenty is still under wraps, including who’s starring. The Duffers said casting is the next step, and The Hollywood Reporter noted that the title and 1 hint in their statement suggest the show may have a UFO, aliens, or outer space theme. Whatever the new cast faces in Marion, it has a lot to live up to.
‘Stranger Things’ debuted in 2016 and became one of Netflix’s biggest worldwide hits, with more than 1.2 billion views across its first 4 seasons. With a new era, new characters, and the origins of Henry Creel’s power on the table, ‘Other Worlds’ has both a strong base and high expectations.
Are you excited for a new Stranger Things prequel set in 1950s Nevada?
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