Annecy, France – June 12, 2025 — Netflix took the spotlight at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival with an exclusive showcase of its upcoming animated projects, headlined by the much-anticipated “Stranger Things: Tales From ’85” and the feature film “In Your Dreams.”
During a packed presentation at the Bonlieu venue titled Next on Netflix Animation: From “Stranger Things” to “In Your Dreams”, the streaming giant revealed new visuals and details from both titles.
‘Stranger Things: Tales From ’85’ – An Animated Return to Hawkins
Eric Robles, showrunner of Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, introduced the animated spin-off, calling it a family-friendly adventure packed with nostalgia and supernatural thrills. Set during the winter of 1985, the show revisits the town of Hawkins, where familiar characters face new monsters and a mysterious paranormal threat.
Netflix describes the series as “an epic new animated series” that blends retro charm with high-stakes storytelling.
Animation for the series is being produced by Flying Bark Productions in Australia. The show is executive produced by Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer through their company Upside Down Pictures, alongside Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen from 21 Laps, Eric Robles, and Hilary Leavitt.
Robles explained that the visual style draws inspiration from classic 1980s cartoons like The Real Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, and Transformers. He also credited fan artist Meybis Ruiz Cruz as the key influence on the show’s design.
Concept art showcased detailed character designs and eerie recreations of Hawkins, including a snowy rendering of the Byers’ home in CG animation. Robles said the Duffer brothers shared thousands of production photos from the original live-action series to help the animation team recreate iconic settings.
The presentation ended with an animatic of a dramatic action sequence, earning loud applause from the Annecy crowd.
‘In Your Dreams’ – A Surreal Animated Journey with Heart
Netflix also previewed “In Your Dreams,” a new animated feature set to premiere on November 11, 2025. Directed by former Pixar animator Alex Woo, co-directed by Erik Benson, and produced by Kuku Studios, the film features a star-studded voice cast including Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, and Cristin Milioti.
Woo explained the personal story behind the film, inspired by a childhood memory of his mother temporarily leaving the family. “My brother and I came up with all sorts of wild plans to bring our family back together,” he said. That real-life experience shaped the movie’s emotional core.
In Your Dreams follows siblings Stevie and Elliot as they journey through their own dreams in search of family unity. The dreamscapes are whimsical and bizarre, featuring sarcastic giraffes and zombie breakfast foods. One clip showed the duo meeting Elliot’s beloved stuffed animal, Baloney Tony, a talking giraffe that farts lasers.
Art director Steve Pilcher, known for his work on Brave, shared concept art for fantastical dream worlds, including Breakfast Land, a village styled like medieval France but made entirely of food. VFX supervisor Nicola Lavender described the technical challenges in animating dream-to-nightmare transitions, noting that some scenes took nearly three months to complete.
“We had to be very efficient in our pipeline to make all these transformations seamless,” Lavender said, showing how vibrant Breakfast Land turns dark and decayed as a nightmare unfolds.
The presentation concluded with the world premiere of the film’s official trailer, which is set to be released publicly tomorrow.
Netflix Animation Studios, now operating across California, Vancouver, and Australia, also revealed its new logo during the event. The studio continues to expand its global presence and creative reach in the animation industry.
With bold storytelling and unique visual styles, both Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 and In Your Dreams signal Netflix’s growing commitment to animated content that appeals to audiences of all ages.
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