Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 EP Reveals How Spinoff Series Became A Reality, How Nikki’s Addition Revitalized Will, and More (Exclusive)

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It’s tough to expand a popular series like Stranger Things without losing what fans love about it. However, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 seems to have done just that by revisiting a specific moment in the show’s timeline and introducing fresh ideas. ComicBook recently spoke with Executive Producer Eric Robles about how they created a successful spinoff, the terrifying new monsters appearing in Hawkins, and the unique qualities of the new characters in this familiar world.

Robles’ career has been incredible – he went from an animation internship to winning Emmys for his own work, and now leads one of Netflix’s most popular shows. It’s amazing considering someone once told him he didn’t have what it takes and should quit, but he thankfully ignored that advice and kept pursuing his dreams.

Robles shared a valuable realization: nobody truly knows what they’re doing, and we’re all just learning as we go. He credits his upbringing with instilling a strong work ethic. Growing up in Los Angeles with limited means, he saw his parents struggle and work tirelessly. This inspired him to persevere and create his own path. With the support of his family and friends, he decided to pursue his passion, and that’s led him to where he is today.

A Secret Project Ended Up Being The Perfect Stranger Things Opportunity

Once Robles finished one project, he was eager to start a horror series. He pitched an idea to Netflix, but it wasn’t approved. However, that led to the chance to work on Stranger Things, and that collaboration eventually paved the way for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85.

After finishing my last show with Nickelodeon and moving to Netflix to work on ‘Glitch Techs,’ the show wrapped up, and then the pandemic started right away. That meant I was stuck at home and had time to think about my next project. I’d actually been wanting to create a horror series since 2004. Back then, I pitched an idea to Cartoon Network, and it went into development, but it never actually got made. So, I decided I wanted to revisit horror and started working on developing a new series.

“I took about five months, literally, just to develop this idea, and I took it to Netflix. Netflix was like, ” Whoa, Robles, this is really cool, man”, and we were in talks, kind of no commitment, just talks back and forth for about five months or so. Five, six months, and then they finally said, like, hey, listen, we really love you. We love your idea. We love this idea that you want to kind of play with, but it’s going to compete with something else we’re developing, right? And I was like, okay, cool. No problem. That’s just the business, man, you know? And they called me back about two weeks later or so, and they were like, ” Hey, Robles, you want to come down here and check out what we had over here in development?” And I’m like, I want to see what you got, and so I went, and they showed me Stranger Things,” Robles said.

Robles expressed enthusiastic excitement about the project, saying it was exactly the kind of work he was hoping for. The team explained they were struggling with the story’s premise, which was set between the second and third seasons of the main series. They’d established that the gate to the monster dimension was closed, but the story still needed a way to introduce monsters. Robles realized this was a challenge they were asking him to solve, and they told him it was up to him to figure it out.

I’ve always enjoyed a good challenge, and I kept thinking back to our earlier discussion – when someone tells me something can’t be done, I like to prove them wrong. That’s how this idea started. Growing up in the 80s, I remembered all the movies being released on VHS – they were releasing them so quickly! There were all sorts of films – A movies, B movies, C movies – and I specifically remembered watching Reanimator when I was younger. That’s when it hit me. I thought, what if we combined the science of Hawkins Lab with the strange matter from the Upside Down? If you could find a way to bring dead matter back to life, it could be something really amazing. It all came back to the idea behind Reanimator – bringing dead bodies back to life.

I resubmitted the idea to Netflix, and they shared it with the Duffer brothers. They were immediately intrigued, wanting to meet and discuss it further. What was supposed to be a quick, thirty-minute meeting turned into a ninety-minute conversation as we all excitedly explored the creative potential of the project and the possibilities of animation, according to Robles.

They were finishing up post-production on season four when this came about, so it wasn’t a pre-planned strategy. It was a spontaneous and creative opportunity, and that’s often how the best projects happen. When everyone involved is truly passionate, things just click. Some people assumed they were simply trying to extend the life of the franchise, but it was a genuine passion project. Once they started developing ideas and discussing possibilities, they quickly got to work, and that’s really how it all began, according to Robles.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 Respects The Show’s Canon, But Also Creates An Exciting New Adventure

It’s tricky to create a new story that fits between events already shown in an existing series, especially when you want it to feel both familiar and original. That was the challenge with ‘Tales From ’85,’ but the creators were up for it. The Duffer Brothers, the show’s original creators, encouraged the new series to explore its own ideas as long as it stayed true to the core story.

It’s definitely a big challenge because we want to stay true to the original show and respect its established story. We’re focusing on a period of time between the second and third seasons, a sort of ‘pause’ that gives us room to be creative. Simply continuing the story without any of the exciting elements – like monsters – and just showing the kids hanging out wouldn’t hold people’s interest for long. We believe that by being creative, we can build something amazing. Our goal is to find ways to have fun and expand the story within that timeframe.

According to the creators, the key to successful spin-offs is to not contradict the main story and to prioritize fun and exciting adventures. As long as the new content is enjoyable, viewers will readily accept it, much like they did with The Real Ghostbusters in the 80s. People weren’t concerned with minor inconsistencies; they simply enjoyed the ride. They didn’t question things like why certain characters or plot points weren’t mentioned in the original series – they just wanted a good story.

I grew up loving Ghostbusters, so the main thing I wanted with this project was to recapture that feeling of being with those characters. It’s the same with my close friends – I wanted to create something where we could all enjoy working together again. That’s really what I hope audiences feel – a sense of hanging out with people they love. The cast is fantastic, and we all had a lot of fun making this movie, just enjoying the experience together.

Tales From ’85 Pushes Will Back Into The Spotlight, And Nikki’s Addition Is A Big Reason Why

The new season doesn’t simply revisit the original characters earlier in the timeline; it also introduces fresh faces like Nikki Baxter. Nikki, a new student at Hawkins, quickly gets caught up in the strange events surrounding the Upside Down. Beyond being a charming addition to the cast, she helps Will reclaim a central role in the story, something he hadn’t quite experienced in recent seasons.

That’s a great point. Will really got lost in the shuffle between seasons. He was present, but not really acknowledged or given his own storyline. While Mike was focused on his relationship with Eleven, and Lucas and Max were navigating their issues, Dustin was eager for the next challenge, which unintentionally left Will feeling isolated.

We aimed to showcase Will’s character this season and needed someone new who hadn’t heard of ‘Zombie Boy.’ We wanted a fresh perspective – someone who would react to the name with excitement, like, ‘Wow, that’s an awesome name!’ rather than negatively. Odessa’s character provided the perfect opportunity to achieve that reaction, as Robles explained.

Robles explained that the storyline really empowered Will’s character, giving him a stronger sense of self and potential for growth, even from this one experience. Having a character who doesn’t know Will’s past but recognizes the incredible things he’s done – traveling to another dimension and fighting monsters, then just returning to normal life – is really powerful. It helps Will see his experiences in a new light and gives him a different kind of strength.

I want to emphasize, Matthew, that this show is built on genuine relationships, not just the fantastical creatures. It really focuses on what the characters are going through and how they connect with each other. Nikki Baxter, for example, has a complicated past with her mother and a history of moving frequently, which creates her own set of challenges. We show disagreements between friends, and even between mothers and daughters – something you don’t often see in animated shows. Usually, these shows are all action and focus on the villains or heroes, but we wanted to take a different approach. We wanted to create slower, more emotional moments that viewers can truly relate to.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 premieres on Netflix on April 23, 2026.

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2026-04-22 06:16