During the presentation in Annecy, Eric Robles, whose studio Flying Bark Productions is responsible for the animation for Stranger Things: Tales From '85, gave the audience a first look at the series and talked about its sources of inspiration. The concept was originally based on Saturday morning cartoons from the 80s, such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, Dungeons & Dragons and especially The Real Ghostbusters, some of which were noticeably dark and scary.
Ultimately, the creative team settled on a visual style that feels much more modern, with the animation influenced by the high-end CGI aesthetic of films and series like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Arcane, combined with the oppressive atmosphere of Goosebumps book covers. Character designs are by Meybis Ruiz Cruz (Entergalactic), while the new monsters — including pumpkin zombies and a hungry snow shark — were designed by creature designer Carlos Huante, known for films such as Blade Runner 2049 and Men in Black.
Australian animation studio Bark Productions worked on Marvel’s What If…?, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and the upcoming Paramount film The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. While Netflix has yet to announce an official release date, the premiere is scheduled for sometime in 2026.
Netflix also confirmed that the fifth and final season of the live-action series Stranger Things will be released in three parts: the first part on Wednesday, November 26, the second on Christmas Day and the grand finale on New Year’s Eve. With this, the streaming platform promises a grand farewell to one of its most iconic series.
