Netflix says Other Worlds, Stranger Things will arrive in 2028, putting Kate Trefry at the center of a new live-action prequel that reaches back to the 1950s. The announcement on Stranger Things Day gives the franchise a fresh runway while production shifts to New Mexico.
Kate Trefry and 2028
Trefry is the showrunner, co-creator, and writer, and she said, "The Duffer Brothers gave me my first paying job in Hollywood, and it has been a joy and a fever dream ever since," before adding, "Now, it is my insane honor and privilege to be bringing this new chapter of Stranger Things to life alongside them and our incredible director, Joe Wright." She also said, "With the support of Netflix and 21 Laps, we have had the time of our lives returning to all the horror, wonder and mystery of the flagship, while also telling a wholly new story, one we hope will blow your minds and break your hearts all over again."
That puts a concrete timeline on a project that expands the franchise rather than simply extending it. Netflix said Stranger Things has garnered more than 1.2 billion views across Seasons 1 to 4 since debuting in 2016, so a 2028 prequel keeps one of its biggest assets active while the main series continues to generate attention.
The Duffer Brothers’ new era
Matt Duffer said, "We’ve been dreaming of Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure for many years now, and to see it become a reality is surreal and exhilarating". Shawn Levy said, "With Other Worlds, the Duffer Brothers and Kate Trefry craft a new ensemble and adventure that is imbued with the DNA of our flagship series while exploring a new era, setting, and all-new characters, themes, and mythology — the seeds of which may have been planted in Hawkins, but now venture into other worlds of spectacle, action, and emotion."
Ross Duffer added, "It’s Stranger Things, but also thrillingly fresh, with a new setting, new heroes and villains, and new … actually, we’re not allowed to say any more. Now, on to casting. In the meantime — watch the skies, nerds!" That is the practical signal for viewers: the world-building is set, but the cast and the exact shape of the new ensemble are still the next step.
New Mexico and Hawkins
The series is set in the 1950s, decades before the Stranger Things gang uncovered a supernatural conspiracy in Hawkins, Indiana, and before the events of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The story language points to a prequel designed to widen the franchise’s mythology without retracing the same territory.
Production on Other Worlds will take place in New Mexico, and Joe Wright will direct the first three episodes. Jinny Howe said, "Today, on Stranger Things Day, we’re honored to partner again with Matt and Ross Duffer and Kate Trefry to give fans a new dimension of this universe to step into". The immediate takeaway is straightforward: Netflix has set the launch year, named the creative lead, and left casting as the next real milestone for a prequel meant to move Stranger Things into a new era, not just a new season.
