Netflix has officially ordered Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, a live-action prequel series that will take the franchise back to the 1950s — decades before the events of the original show.
The streamer announced the series on November 6 as part of Stranger Things Day, the annual fan celebration marking the fictional date of Will Byers' disappearance in the first season, November 6, 1983. The new series is scheduled to premiere in 2028.
Other Worlds will be set in 1955 in Marion, Nevada, and will explore an earlier chapter of the show's mythology, including events connected to Henry Creel, the character who eventually becomes Vecna. The story takes place before Henry is exposed to the otherworldly substance that gives him his powers, and it predates both the original series and the stage production Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is set in 1959.
Longtime Stranger Things writer Kate Trefry will serve as showrunner and co-creator alongside franchise creators Matt and Ross Duffer. Trefry has written for the series since season 2 and penned the stage production The First Shadow. Filmmaker Joe Wright, whose credits include Pride & Prejudice, Atonement and Darkest Hour, is set to direct the first three episodes and executive produce.
Filming will take place in New Mexico. Netflix has not announced any cast members or a more specific premiere date within 2028. Other Worlds will be the fourth project in the franchise, joining the original series, the animated spin-off Stranger Things: Tales from '85 and the stage production. The Duffers will produce through Upside Down Pictures, and the show is a carve-out from their overall deal at Paramount, which they joined after their Netflix deal expired in April 2026.
