Stranger Things is not over as Netflix pushes forward with a new spinoff after the season 5 finale ended in mixed reactions.

After years of anticipation Stranger Things officially ended on December 31 with its Season 5 finale “The Rightside Up.”

The final episode of the show debuted on Netflix and in select theatres across the U.S. and Canada.

The conclusion marked the end of the live-action series but not without controversy.

Fan reaction to the final season was sharply divided. Online petitions called for revised cuts of the finale while a viral theory known as “Conformity Gate” convinced some viewers that Netflix would release an alternate ending.

No such version appeared and Season 5 ultimately landed as one of the show’s most polarising chapters with criticism aimed at pacing, plot convenience, and character resolutions.

Despite the backlash Netflix is moving full speed ahead with the franchise’s next chapter.

The streamer has confirmed a new 3D animated series titled Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 signalling that the Hawkins universe is far from finished.

Set during the winter of 1985 between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original show Tales From ’85 returns to the era many fans consider the emotional core of Stranger Things.

The plot twist is that all characters will be voiced by an entirely new cast, a decision which is already receiving backlash.

Brooklyn Davey Norstedt will voice Eleven, with Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Ben Plessala as Will, and Brett Gipson as Hopper.

Netflix says Tales From ’85 will introduce new monsters, mysteries, and storylines that were never referenced in later seasons of the live-action show.

Whether the animated spinoff will mend lingering disappointment from the finale or deepen debate around the franchise remains to be seen.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 is set to premiere on Netflix later this year.