All the upcoming Stranger Things spin-offs

The primary story arc of Netflix hit Stranger Things hasn’t quite come to a close just yet but that hasn’t stopped the powers-that-be from working away on a host of spin-off projects.

With the show's fifth and final season heading our way soon, fans of 80s nostalgia and dodgy haircuts needn’t worry about getting their fix of throwback spookiness courtesy of creators Matt and Ross Duffer.

When the main show ends, viewers will be treated to a range of side projects all set within the eerie realm of Hawkins’ Indiana and the shadowy Upside Down and offering new angles on this hugely popular franchise.

From animated outings to a stand-alone stage show, there’s lots of fun stuff brewing. Here’s what we know about all of the Stranger Things spin-offs currently in production.

Stranger Things Netflix animated series

Perhaps offering a lighter take on a frequently dark show, Netflix’s animated Stranger Things series promises something “in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving,” according to original series masterminds The Duffer Brothers.

Plot-wise, the show’s creators are keeping their cards close to their chests. However, we do know that this cartoon take on Stranger Things will be developed by Flying Bark Productions’ Eric Robles, creator of fellow animated series Random! Cartoons and Glitch Techs, with The Duffer Brothers and Shawn Levy on producing duties.

Commenting on the project, the Duffers’ said: “We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with — the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you! The adventure continues…”

Stranger Things live-action series

Not long after season four of Stranger Things dropped, The Duffer Brothers founded Upside Down Pictures to house all of their Netflix activity, alongside revealing plans for a new, live-action Stranger Things spin-off series.

Much like their animated outing, you’d have to be Eleven-style psychic to know the exact plot of this offshoot, as the Duffer brothers are yet to reveal any solid details. That said, they have teased that it will be “very, very different” to the show we know and love, picking up after the characters featured in the primary show have wrapped up their adventures.

“We haven’t told anyone the idea yet, much less written it,” the Duffers previously told Variety. “We think everyone — including Netflix — will be surprised when they hear the concept, because it’s very, very different. But somehow Finn Wolfhard — who is one crazy smart kid — correctly guessed what it was going to be about. But aside from Finn, no one else knows!”

The pair also squashed any ideas of an Eleven-focused spin-off film starring actor Millie Bobby Brown, tweeting that articles circulating that promoted this idea were untrue. Elsewhere, the Duffers have said the spin off will be "1000% different" from the primary Stranger Things series.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow stage play

Based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers and written by Stranger Things show writer Katy Trefry and Enola Holmes 2 script man Jack Thorne, Stranger Things: The First Shadow brings the supernatural events of Hawkins, Indiana to London’s West End.

The show, which is directed by filmmaker Stephen Daldry, is set in Hawkins in 1959 and features younger versions of well-known series characters like Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder), Jim Hopper (David Harbour), series two face Bob Newby (Sean Astin) and even a young Henry Creel AKA season four baddie, Vecna.

The show’s official synopsis explains that it will “take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story — and to the beginning of the end.”

It features a host of newcomers playing familiar series favourites, with stage stars Christopher Buckley, Michael Jibson, Shane Attwooll, Oscar Lloyd, Patrick Vaill, Lauren Ward, Louis McCartney, Ella Karuna Williams and Isabella Pappas all appearing.

Early reviews for Netflix’s first foray into the West End materialised online following its premiere in December 2023, with many outlets suggesting that Stranger Things’ stage show is a must-see.

The Guardian called it “breathtaking theatre,” adding that the show is "neither derivative nor an exercise in imitation," instead suggesting that it is full of "arresting imagination."

The Evening Standard said “This astonishing show turns normal expectations of theatre upside down,” while The Telegraph heaped on the praise, calling the show the “theatrical event of the year.”

Read more reviews below:

• The Guardian: Stranger Things: The First Shadow review – breathtaking theatre (3-min read)

• Evening Standard: This stunning Phoenix Theatre show will turn you upside down (3-min read)

• The Telegraph: Netflix gives the West End its event of the year (4-min read)

• The Independent: Netflix explodes into the West End with thrills galore (3-min read)

Stranger Things is streaming on Netflix.