Hello stranger
Prepare to venture back into the Upside Down with the return of Stranger Things
- Louise Griffin
Add Stranger Things: Tales from '85 to your watchlist
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Netflix’s Stranger Things may have ended only recently, but it’s already back in an animated spin-off, Tales from ’85, which swaps the horror of Hawkins with a more family-friendly feel. “We wanted to focus on kids being kids, riding bikes, solving mysteries with their walkie-talkies and flashlights,” says showrunner Eric Robles, though he notes the series still promises plenty of monsters and mysteries.
The team behind the animated show, which is set between seasons 2 and 3 of Stranger Things, wanted to honour the original by using the show’s posters as the basis for the animation style. “We have a very stylised look to our show,” Robles says. “We brought this very illustrative feel.” The animation allows for more freedom compared to live-action. “We can really crank up the kinds of visuals that you wouldn’t get in the flagship series. We can push our cameras in a certain way and get the characters to do dynamic things that they normally wouldn’t be able to do.”
Capturing the specifics of Hawkins was essential, with Robles working with Stranger Things writers as well as the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, and studying the live-action sets to replicate every detail.
An early rough sketch of animated Eleven. Netflix
But while our heroes may look familiar, they’re going to sound a little different. Brooklyn Davey Norstedt is voicing telekinetic teen Eleven, taking over from Millie Bobby Brown. “I didn’t want to do a complete imitation of Millie’s performance because that would take the heart out of it,” she says.
“But I did do a lot of heavy research by rewatching the show. I wanted to honour Millie’s portrayal of the character but also bring Eleven to life. I know Eleven means so much to the fans and to me.”
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Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 is available from Thursday on Netflix
Authors
Louise GriffinSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
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