Netflix has ordered Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, a live-action Stranger Things prequel set in the 1950s and due in 2028, according to Netflix’s own announcement. It follows new characters in a new story, decades before the gang in Hawkins, Indiana uncovers its supernatural conspiracy.
If you finished the main series and wondered whether the universe had more to give, this is Netflix’s answer. It is also a long wait, and so far the cast list is empty.
TL;DR: Netflix says Other Worlds is a live-action Stranger Things prequel set in the 1950s, built around new characters instead of the Hawkins kids. Matt and Ross Duffer created it with Kate Trefry, who runs the show, and Joe Wright directs the first three episodes. Filming is planned for New Mexico and the release year is 2028. No cast, episode count, or exact date has been announced.
What Netflix actually announced
Netflix’s Tudum post, published November 6, 2026, describes Other Worlds as a live-action prequel with new characters and a new story. Matt and Ross Duffer are developing it with longtime Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry, who is showrunner, co-creator, and writer.
Joe Wright, whose credits include Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, and Darkest Hour, will direct the first three episodes. Filming is set for New Mexico.
The Duffers put the pitch this way: “It’s Stranger Things, but also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains.” Where that setting sits on the timeline is the part worth a closer look.
Where the Stranger Things prequel fits
Other Worlds takes place in the 1950s, decades before the events in Hawkins. According to Netflix, it also predates Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the stage play about Henry Creel’s troubled past in Hawkins in 1959, which Trefry wrote the script for.
That makes the play no longer the earliest chapter of the story. For anyone who never saw it, the change matters less than it sounds, because Other Worlds is framed around its own characters.
A different decade is a cleaner break than a sequel could have offered. It lets the show borrow the tone of Stranger Things without asking anyone to replace the original cast.
What is still missing
Netflix has not announced a cast. In the Duffers’ words, “Now, on to casting.” There is also no trailer or teaser, no episode total, and no release date beyond the year 2028.
Casting still has to land and cameras still have to roll in New Mexico, so nothing here is close to watchable. If you are planning subscriptions around it, our cheapest streaming bundle guide is a better use of your time than any 2028 countdown.
What to watch while you wait
Netflix lists the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 as streaming now. The First Shadow is still on stage at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End through December 27 and at the Marquis Theater on Broadway through January 3, 2027.
If you want help picking something else in the meantime, Netflix’s new AI Discover tab is one place to start. For the prequel itself, the next real news will be the cast.
