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Stranger Things isn't done referencing Jaws, as Netflix's Tales from '85 showrunner explains

Those wily Duffer Bros. aren't the only sharkheads on Netflix's payroll - Stranger Things: Tales from '85's Eric Robles is also using Steven Spielberg's classic as inspiration

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Mon Feb 23 2026

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You may recall Popverse reporting on the unexpected links between Jaws and Stranger Things. Series creators Ross and Matt Duffer, in case you didn't know, consider the Steven Spielberg classic their favorite movie of all time, and the original title for the show was directly inspired by it. But the threads between shark and demogorgon don't stop there - at least, not according to Eric Robles, showrunner for Netflix's animated spinoff Stranger Things: Tales from '85.

Robles made the connection in an interview he did with Empire Magazine in its most recent issue. Addressing the idea that the series was more kid-oriented, Robles acknowledged that the animation might make the series seem a bit more PG... "but then you see the shark!"

Now, Robles isn't talking about a real shark. He's talking about a new kind of demogorgon-esque beast, pictured above. And rather than summer-shining beaches, this dun-dun-demon is stalking its prey through the winter weather.

"It’s winter time in Hawkins," teases Robles, "The whole town’s covered in this ocean of snow. And that brings new dangers… I’m a huge fan of Jaws and this became our version.

"Our version" of Jaws is enough to get me interested, reader, I don't know about you.

Stranger Thins: Tales from '85 debuts on Netflix April 23, 2026. The OG Stranger Things series is streaming, in full, on Netflix now.

As we all collectively wait for Stranger Things season 5, here's the keys to getting ready:

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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.