Netflix has officially opened a new door in the Stranger Things universe. On Stranger Things Day, November 6, 2026, the streamer announced Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, a live-action prequel series, and dropped a short, eerie first teaser to go with it.
The show comes from Matt and Ross Duffer, who co-created it with longtime Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry. Trefry is also the showrunner, and Oscar-nominated Atonement director Joe Wright will direct the first three episodes. Forget Hawkins in the ’80s: this story is set in Marion, Nevada, in 1955, nearly three decades before Will Byers went missing.
Netflix says the series will premiere in 2028. No cast has been announced yet, and there’s no exact date. Here’s everything to know about Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure so far.
About Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure
Other Worlds is a prequel set in the 1950s. It takes place before the original series and before the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is set in 1959. Netflix and the creators say it follows a brand-new group of heroes and villains rather than Eleven, Mike, Dustin and the rest of the original gang.
| Title | Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure |
| Format | Live-action TV series (prequel) |
| Release | 2028 (exact date not announced) |
| Setting | Marion, Nevada, April 19, 1955 (per teaser) |
| Genre | Sci-fi, horror, mystery drama |
| Co-creators | Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Kate Trefry |
| Showrunner and writer | Kate Trefry |
| Director | Joe Wright (first three episodes) |
| Executive producers | The Duffer Brothers (Upside Down Pictures), Kate Trefry, Joe Wright, Shawn Levy (21 Laps), Paul Dichter, Shelley Meals, Andrea Sperling, Pavlina Hatoupis |
| Production companies | Upside Down Pictures, 21 Laps Entertainment |
| Cinematography | Not yet announced |
| Music | Not yet announced |
| Distributor | Netflix |
| Episodes and runtime | Not yet announced |
| Rating | Not yet rated |
| Filming location | New Mexico (production planned there) |
The Story Behind the Show
A live-action spinoff has been talked about for years. After the series finale aired, the Duffers told Variety they would start work on it in early January 2026, and they’ve been hinting at its direction ever since.
The official announcement came on November 6, the date Netflix celebrates each year as Stranger Things Day. It marks the day Will Byers vanished in the very first episode, back in 1983.
In Netflix’s announcement, the Duffers called the show familiar but fresh, with a new setting and new characters. They also said they couldn’t reveal anything more yet. Their sign-off was a nice little hint: “watch the skies, nerds!”
Fun fact: Kate Trefry wrote The First Shadow, the Olivier and Tony-winning stage prequel. In the announcement, she said the Duffers gave her her first paid job in Hollywood. Now she’s running their next live-action show.
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How Other Worlds connects to Stranger Things?
The biggest clue goes back to the series finale. In it, a flashback shows young Henry Creel in a Nevada cave. He takes a briefcase from an injured scientist and finds a mysterious glowing rock inside. That rock is what starts his path toward becoming Vecna.
After the finale, Matt Duffer told Variety that the spinoff would explore and explain that rock. He also stressed that it would be a completely different mythology, not a deep dive into the Mind Flayer.
Shawn Levy described the show the same way in Netflix’s announcement: it has new characters and mythology, but the seeds may have been planted in Hawkins. So expect links to the larger lore, not a direct continuation.
Stranger Things timeline: where Other Worlds fits
| Year (in story) | Project | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure | Marion, Nevada |
| 1959 | Stranger Things: The First Shadow (stage play) | Hawkins, Indiana, with Henry’s Nevada backstory |
| 1983 | Stranger Things Season 1 | Hawkins, Indiana |
| 1985 | Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 (animated) | Hawkins, Indiana |
| 1987 | Stranger Things Season 5 (final season) | Hawkins, Indiana |
Other Worlds Cast
The cast hasn’t been announced yet. The Duffers’ statement says casting is the next step. Netflix has confirmed the show will have an all-new ensemble, so the original Hawkins characters won’t be leading this one.
| Actor | Character | You may know them from |
|---|---|---|
| To be announced | New lead characters | — |
| To be announced | New villains | — |
We’ll update this table once Netflix confirms names. Until then, here’s who is behind the camera.
Kate Trefry (co-creator, showrunner, writer)
Trefry has worked with the Duffers since Season 2 of Stranger Things. She wrote The First Shadow, which already covers Henry Creel’s early life. That makes her the natural choice to take the story even further back.
Matt and Ross Duffer (co-creators, executive producers)
The brothers created Stranger Things, which premiered in 2016 and ended with its fifth season. They’re co-creating Other Worlds through their company Upside Down Pictures.
Joe Wright (director, first three episodes)
Wright is a BAFTA and Golden Globe winner known for Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Darkest Hour. His period dramas suggest that the 1950s setting will be handled with great care. The Duffers said they’ve long admired his work.
Shawn Levy (executive producer)
Levy’s company, 21 Laps, produced the original series. He also directed several of its episodes. He’s back as an executive producer.
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Filming Locations
Netflix confirmed that production will take place in New Mexico. Specific towns, studios and a start date haven’t been announced.
| Location | Status |
|---|---|
| New Mexico, USA | Confirmed as the production base |
| Specific cities or sets | Not yet announced |
| Filming start date | Not yet announced |
Fun fact: The story is set in Nevada, but the cameras will be in New Mexico. That’s a classic Hollywood switch. New Mexico’s high desert can easily stand in for 1950s Nevada, and the state is a major filming hub thanks to its production incentives.
Where to watch Other Worlds?
Other Worlds is a Netflix original series, so Netflix will be the home for it.
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| Netflix streaming | Confirmed (2028) |
| Exact premiere date | Not yet announced |
| Theaters | No theatrical release announced |
| Digital rental or purchase | Not expected (Netflix originals usually stay on Netflix) |
| Physical media (DVD/Blu-ray) | Not announced |
While you wait, all five seasons of Stranger Things are on Netflix.
Is Other Worlds Suitable for Kids?
The series hasn’t been rated yet. For reference, the original Stranger Things is rated TV-14 on Netflix due to horror violence, gore, scary imagery and language.
Given the shared creative team and the horror tone in the teaser, we expect a similar rating, but that’s not confirmed. Parents with younger kids should check the official rating once it’s announced.
The announcement teaser runs well under a minute. Here’s what it shows:
- A bicycle lying on its side at night next to a radio playing “Sh-Boom,” the 1950s doo-wop hit by The Chords
- A barbed-wire fence and a restricted-area warning sign that says deadly force is authorized
- A title card: April 19, 1955, Marion, Nevada
- Clouds over the town that suddenly tear open with a blast of light, which some viewers noticed has a blue tint rather than the red tones of the Upside Down
The teaser’s tagline sums it up: “Before Hawkins, there was Marion.”
Fun fact: The bike is a deliberate callback. The original series kicked off when Will’s bicycle was found abandoned after he vanished.
No full trailer has been released yet. Netflix usually shares more footage closer to a premiere, so we’ll probably have to wait a while.
Bottom Line
Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure takes the franchise back to 1955 Nevada with a new town, a new cast and a new mythology. It also connects to the mystery rock that turned Henry Creel into Vecna. Kate Trefry is in charge, Joe Wright is directing the first three episodes and Netflix is aiming for 2028.
The cast, plot details and an exact date are still under wraps. For now, all we have is a bike, a radio and a sky splitting open. Grab some popcorn, and keep watching the skies.
FAQs
When does Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure come out?
Netflix says it will premiere in 2028. An exact date hasn’t been announced.
Is Other Worlds a prequel?
Yes. It’s set in the 1950s, before the original series and before the stage play The First Shadow.
Where is Other Worlds set?
The teaser places it in Marion, Nevada, on April 19, 1955.
Who is in the cast of Other Worlds?
No actors have been announced. The Duffers said casting is the next step, and the show will have entirely new characters.
Will Eleven or the original cast appear?
Netflix and the creators describe the show as a new ensemble with new heroes and villains. No returning characters have been confirmed.
Who is making Other Worlds?
Matt and Ross Duffer and Kate Trefry co-created it. Trefry is the showrunner, and Joe Wright is directing the first three episodes.
Where is Other Worlds being filmed?
Netflix says production will take place in New Mexico.
Is Other Worlds connected to Vecna?
The Duffers have said the spinoff will explain the mysterious rock Henry Creel found in the Nevada caves. However, they describe it as a different mythology, not a Vecna story.
“Sh-Boom (Life Could Be a Dream)” by The Chords.
Is there an Other Worlds trailer?
There’s only a short announcement teaser so far. A full trailer hasn’t been released.
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