Almost a year after saying goodbye to “Stranger Things” and Vecna, Netflix is turning back the clock to where it all began. On Nov. 6, also known as “Stranger Things” Day to fans, the streamer announced “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure,” a live-action prequel set in the 1950s, decades before Eleven and her friends discovered the Upside Down.
Since its debut, “Stranger Things” has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits, amassing billions of views and winning multiple Emmys throughout its five-season run. The massive success also took creators Matt and Ross Duffer, aka the Duffer brothers, from relative newcomers to household names. The two launched their own production company, Upside Down Pictures, in 2022, promising to continue their knack for sci-fi storytelling.
For “Other Worlds,” the Duffer brothers are returning as co-creators and executive producers alongside longtime “Stranger Things” writer Kate Trefry, who is also stepping in as showrunner.
Ready for another trip into the unknown? Here’s everything we know about the “Stranger Things” prequel, including how actors can prepare for potential casting opportunities.
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- What is “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure” about?
- Who is developing “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure”?
- Who is in the cast of “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure”?
- Who is the casting director for “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure”?
- Where to find “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure” casting calls
- How can actors prepare for an “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure” audition?
- When will “Other Worlds: A Stranger Things Adventure” premiere?
Netflix’s announcement teaser offers a glimpse of what’s coming: an abandoned bicycle, a restricted area, and something unsettling in the night sky. While the storyline is still under wraps, the teaser does give us a new setting. Instead of taking place in Hawkins, Indiana, this story is set in Marion, Nevada, in 1955. The Duffer brothers promise “a new setting, new heroes and villains,” according to Netflix Tudum.
Executive producer Shawn Levy offered a few more clues, describing a new ensemble and adventure that will retain the original series’ DNA while exploring a different era, fresh characters, and new mythology.
Trefry also says the series will revisit the original’s horror, wonder, and mystery while telling a new story, one she hopes will “blow your minds and break your hearts all over again.”
Trefry originally joined the “Stranger Things” writing team for Season 2 and later wrote the stage play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which explores Hawkins in 1959. She now serves as co-creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer of “Other Worlds.”
Joe Wright (“Pride & Prejudice,” “Darkest Hour”) will direct the first three episodes and executive produce. The Duffer brothers will executive produce through Upside Down Pictures, alongside Levy through 21 Laps.
No cast members have been announced, but the search for a new ensemble appears to be on the horizon. The Duffer brothers ended their Nov. 6 announcement with something that should get aspiring actors’ attention: “Now, on to casting. In the meantime — watch the skies, nerds!”
Emmy-winning Carmen Cuba cast the original “Stranger Things,” launching the careers of Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, and Sadie Sink. She’s also the Duffer brothers go-to casting director for their other projects under their production banner, including “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” and “The Boroughs,” so it’s likely she’ll return to cast “Other Worlds.”
Her longtime experience as a CD offers useful insight into how actors can get noticed. “I definitely want to try to access people who don’t have agents,” she told us. She said she sends breakdowns to theater colleagues, reaches out to acting coaches, theater schools, and alumni, and keeps track of actors she discovers for future projects.
She’s also equally attentive to what actors do when they aren’t speaking. In another conversation with us, she emphasized the importance of listening and being compelling even in silence. “I am always looking for what you feel when the person is not speaking,” she said.
Cuba also shared what impresses her in the audition room. “The best habit I think an actor can have is to be prepared enough that he/she can use that preparation to feel confident and playful in the audition—even if it’s not necessarily a playful role,” said the CD. “And to not judge themselves while they are in the middle of it, if they feel like it’s going sideways, is also key. It’s such a vulnerable thing to go into these rooms and put everything into these fleeting moments; filling them with an actual creative exchange should be key.”
The prequel series is still very much in early development, so it’s too early for any casting news or opportunities. In the meantime, you can explore our “Stranger Things” guide, which breaks down the casting process of the original series. We also recommend keeping tabs on our curated Netflix casting roundup, our Netflix casting page, as well as our guide to auditioning for the streamer.
You can also check out these other greenlit projects:
Just because we have to wait for casting news doesn’t mean you can’t begin your audition prep for “Other Worlds.” While you don’t need to be a “Stranger Things” superfan, we do think a good place to start your homework is by watching the original series.
“Stand by Me” is also a good reference as Matt Duffer revealed that the team initially used scenes from the movie for auditions because they had so little “Stranger Things” material written.
Levy recalled several standout audition moments during the original series casting process. Wolfhard, who played Mike Wheeler, submitted an iPhone self-tape recorded while he was sick in bed. Despite the poor video quality, the young actor made an impression. “He had a quality that made us sit up and take notice because it didn’t feel generic,” Levy told us.
Another actor to study would be Dacre Montgomery, who went all out for his Billy Hargrove audition, filming a self-tape that featured a shirtless dance to Duran Duran. “It’s important to stand out and make bold decisions,” he told us.
We also think Natalia Dyer, who played Nancy Wheeler, is a great reference. She stressed having confidence in your own interpretation. “The main thing you can do is be confident in what you’re giving them,” she told us. “The trick for an actor is: This is me, this is my version, take it or leave it. It’s a hard thing to do.”
For more homework, check out our collection of acting advice from the original cast.
“Other Worlds” is set to premiere in 2028, although an exact date hasn’t been announced.
Actors interested in Trefry’s work can also catch “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” before its Broadway run ends Jan. 3, 2027, or see it at London’s Phoenix Theatre, where it’s currently scheduled to close Dec. 23, 2026.
