'Other Worlds': Netflix confirms release window for 'Stranger Things' prequel series

The world of "Stranger Things" is set to expand with a new live-action prequel series titled "Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure". Announced by Netflix on November 6, 2026, as part of Stranger Things Day, the series is expected to premiere in 2028.

Unlike the original series, which is set in Hawkins, Indiana, the new show will take viewers to Marion, Nevada, in 1955. The story will explore events that took place decades before the main series, offering a closer look at the origins of the mysterious Upside Down anomalies. While the full plot remains secret, viewers can expect new heroes, villains and supernatural mysteries.

The first teaser trailer and premise heavily suggest a homage to the classic 1950s sci-fi anthologies like "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits". The  teaser opens with a 1950s doo-wop song playing from a radio next to an abandoned bicycle by a fenced-off government restricted zone — a setup that feels straight out of a classic Cold War sci-fi mystery.

The series is being co-created by the Duffer Brothers and Kate Trefry. Trefry, who previously worked as a writer on "Stranger Things", will also serve as showrunner and executive producer. She is also known for writing "The First Shadow", the popular stage production that explores the show's earlier history.

Acclaimed filmmaker Joe Wright, known for films such as "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice", is set to direct the first three episodes. Filming is expected to take place in New Mexico.

The new series will become the fourth major project in the growing "Stranger Things" universe. It joins the original five-season series, which ended in 2025, the animated spinoff "Stranger Things: Tales from '85", and the stage play "The First Shadow", set in 1959.