Stranger Things Prequel: New Series Set in 1955 Nevada
The Duffer Brothers are expanding the franchise's timeline with a story set in Marion, Nevada, decades before the original events in Hawkins.
By Anthony Brooks ·
The Netflix franchise that defined a generation of supernatural storytelling is moving west and backward in time.
On November 6, Netflix announced Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure, a prequel series scheduled to premiere in 2028. The announcement coincided with the fictional date in the original series when the first major incident occurred. This new installment will be set in the fictional town of Marion, Nevada, rather than the Indiana hometown of the original show.
The narrative will begin on April 19, 1955. This date places the story roughly two and a half decades before the 1980s setting of the main series. The plot will also precede the events of the stage production Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which chronicles the past of Henry Creel, the character who becomes the villain Vecna.
A teaser released alongside the announcement establishes the tone for the new setting. The clip features a bicycle abandoned next to a radio playing the 1955 hit Sh-Boom by The Crew-Cuts. Static crackles over the music as the camera pans toward a restricted area sign. Dark clouds form above the town before a flash of lightning ends the video. The tagline for the project reads: Before Hawkins, there was Marion.
Matt and Ross Duffer are returning to create the series with writer Kate Trefry. Trefry will serve as showrunner, co-creator, and writer. In a statement on Netflix’s Tudum site, the Duffer Brothers described the project as thrillingly fresh. They noted it would feature new heroes and villains, though they withheld further details. The brothers added a playful directive to fans: Now, on to casting. In the meantime, watch the skies, nerds!
Trefry called the opportunity an insane honour and privilege. She stated that the team enjoyed returning to the horror and mystery of the flagship series while crafting a wholly new story. The original Stranger Things series debuted in 2016 and concluded with a two-hour finale in January 2026. The show’s success elevated actors like Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Sadie Sink, Maya Hawke, and Joe Keery to global fame alongside Winona Ryder and David Harbour.
The franchise continues to expand beyond the main live-action series. An animated spin-off, Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, is also in production. Netflix has not yet released casting details or a specific release date beyond the 2028 window for the new Nevada-based series.
