Netflix is giving the Upside Down a tiny moment on the big screen. The animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales From '85 will play in theaters for one day only, ahead of its streaming premiere.
What will play in theaters
The first two episodes of Tales From '85 will be shown back-to-back, with a combined running time of about 55 minutes. This is a preview screening, not a full theatrical release.
When and where to watch
- Date: April 18
- Showtimes: noon and 3 p.m. local time
- Locations: 34 AMC theaters across 20 states, plus the Paris Theater in New York and the Netflix House in Philadelphia
- Streaming debut: The full season arrives on Netflix five days later
Scale check
This theatrical preview is much smaller than the theatrical run for the live-action series finale, which played in roughly 600 theaters and made an estimated $20 million to $25 million. This time it is deliberately limited: two showings in a small number of locations.
Story setup
As the title states, Tales From '85 is set in the winter of 1985, between seasons two and three of the original show. The logline places Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max back in a quieter routine of D&D, snowball fights, and normal days. Then something wakes up under the ice. It might come from the Upside Down, Hawkins Lab, or somewhere else. The kids have to figure it out and save Hawkins.
Who's behind it
- Showrunner: Eric Robles
- Executive producers: Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, the original series creators
Ticket info
Tickets for the theatrical preview go on sale on March 18 at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT.
If you want to see animated Hawkins on a big screen for a short time, this is your chance. If you do not, the season will drop on Netflix a few days later.
