What Is Next for the Duffer Brothers After The Boroughs? Every Upcoming Project Ranked and Revealed

What Is Next for the Duffer Brothers After The Boroughs?

Netflix just wrapped The Boroughs, the eight-episode sci-fi horror dramedy from Matt and Ross Duffer — and it marks a pretty significant moment. This is the last project the Stranger Things creators are developing under their current Netflix deal through their production company, Upside Down Pictures. So what does the future look like for the duo who basically defined 2010s genre television?

With an all-star cast led by Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Bill Pullman, Clarke Peters, and Denis O'Haré, The Boroughs delivered a fun but flawed desert-set mystery about a New Mexico retirement community that uncovers terrifying secrets beneath their neighborhood. Critics called it "Stranger Things for the elderly" — which honestly sounds kind of great. But while the show wrapped with decent buzz, its Rotten Tomatoes score actually ended the Duffer Brothers' perfect streak that began with Stranger Things Season 5. Here is everything we know about what comes next.

1. Stranger Things: Tales From '85 — The Animated Spinoff (Already Streaming, Season 2 Confirmed)

Yes, the Duffers already dropped their first post-Stranger Things project this year. Stranger Things: Tales From '85 premiered on Netflix in April 2026, and it is an animated limited series set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the original show. The voice cast includes Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max, Luca Diaz as Mike, Braxton Quinney as Dustin, Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven, Odessa A'zion as Nikki, and Janeane Garofalo joining the ensemble.

Created by Matt and Ross Duffer alongside showrunner Eric Robles, the animated series follows the Hawkins gang battling a new breed of monster in a slightly more kid-friendly format. Reviews were mixed — TheWrap called it "haunted by missed opportunities" — but Netflix did not care. Less than a week after the finale, the streamer renewed Tales From '85 for Season 2, proving they are not ready to let the Hawkins universe go anytime soon. Paul Tassi at Forbes noted the renewal came despite the show's relatively poor performance, suggesting Netflix is banking on the IP's long-term value.

2. A Mysterious New Horror Project at Upside Down Pictures

On the Happy Sad Confused podcast in mid-May 2026, the Duffer Brothers revealed exciting new details about a long-rumored Netflix spinoff that is still in development. While specifics remain under wraps, sources indicate it is a horror project that expands beyond the Stranger Things universe entirely — a deliberate move to prove Upside Down Pictures can create original IPs, not just extensions of existing ones.

This tracks with what Hindustan Times reported on May 24: the Duffers are actively expanding their portfolio with new horror and sci-fi projects. They have been vocal about wanting to tell stories outside the Upside Down, and with The Boroughs now officially wrapped, they finally have the bandwidth to focus on whatever is cooking next.

3. What About the Main Stranger Things Story?

Here is the thing — Stranger Things Season 5 wrapped at the start of 2026, and by all accounts, it was designed as the definitive ending. The Duffers have been clear that the main series is done. However, on a recent interview, they admitted there is one episode from the original run they wish they could redo — a surprising confession that keeps fans hoping for something, anything, to bring them back to Hawkins one more time.

For now, the universe lives on through Tales From '85 and whatever the Duffers cook up at Upside Down Pictures next. With Netflix clearly committed to the franchise (Season 2 of the animated spinoff already greenlit), do not count on this being the last we hear from the world of Eleven, Mike, Dustin, and the rest.

The Bottom Line

The Boroughs may have been the Duffer Brothers' last project under their current Netflix deal, but it is nowhere near their last project period. Between the animated Stranger Things: Tales From '85 (already renewed), a mysterious new horror IP in development, and whatever fresh deal they negotiate next, Matt and Ross Duffer are far from finished. Whether their next show will match the cultural earthquake of Stranger Things remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: the Duffer Brothers are not going anywhere.

What do you think? Are you still watching anything from the Duffer Brothers post-Stranger Things? Drop your thoughts below.