Netflix Shares ‘Stranger Things: Tales From '85,' ‘In Your Dreams' First Looks in Annecy
Netflix took center stage early evening at Annecy today with its Bonlieu-hosted presentation Next on Netflix Animation: From 'Stranger Things' to 'In Your Dreams.' The standing room only session featured showrunner Eric Robles introducing the animated spinoff 'Stranger Things: Tales From '85,' a family spectacle blending nostalgia with supernatural intrigue.
Netflix's official logline for the series reads: 'Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town in Stranger Things: Tales From '85, an epic new animated series.'
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With animation headed by Australian outfit Flying Bark, the show is being executive produced by 'Stranger Things' creators Matt and Ross Duffer via their Upside Down Pictures, along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen via 21 Laps, Eric Robles, – who is showrunning the series – via Flying Bark Productions and Hilary Leavitt from Upside Down Pictures.
Also presenting was 'In Your Dreams' director Alex Woo, production designer Steve Pilcher, and VFX Supervisor Nicola Lavender, who unveiled a major sneak peek of the highly anticipated feature, set for release later this year.
'In Your Dreams' is a surreal comedy adventure that follows Stevie and her brother Elliot as they journey through the wacky landscapes of their dreams. If they can survive sarcastic giraffes and breakfast zombies, they may find the dream of a perfect family.
The film is directed by Woo, co-directed by Erik Benson, and produced by Kuku Studios. Featuring a star-studded cast that includes Craig Robinson, Simu Liu and Cristin Milioti, it is scheduled for release on November 11, 2025.
More to come…
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Elle
23 minutes ago
- Elle
'I Have Zero Straight Men In My Life': Emily Ratajkowski Enters Her Free Era
Photographs by Morgan Maher, Styling by Natasha Wray Emily Ratajkowski might be your favourite woman's favourite woman. You just know a night out with her would be a blast. She can toggle from Joan Didion and political discourse to reality TV and TikTok memes, high fashion and handbags – you're going to have a good time. Indeed, women are at the centre of Ratajowski's universe right now. 'Not centring men is really wonderful,' she tells me. 'In general, in our world, men have somehow filed this space, but what I found instead of it is community.' The 34-year-old model, actor and author of the bestselling essay collection My Body – is sitting in front of a beautifully curated bookshelf in the New York apartment she shares with her four-year-old son Sly. On her T-shirt is an R Crumb illustration of a hairy, naked woman with large breasts doing a handstand. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE 'I still like men,' she adds. 'I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they're a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that's at the top of the pyramid, which is nice. [Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core. The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people, and being a mom.' Having dinner and drinks with these women – one of them being the model and actor Adwoa Aboah – is among her favourite things to do. 'It's so fun to talk sh*t with my friends,' she says, laughing. The pair are going on holiday together this summer and, yes, 'it'll be brat' (Charli xcx is another good friend). Morgan Maher Emily Ratajkowski wears top, £1,100 and shorts, £1,980, both PRADA Aboah and Ratajkowski also appear in this summer's most- anticipated TV show, Lena Dunham's new Netflix series Too Much .Ratajkowski plays Wendy, the model/influencer rebound girlfriend of the lead's ex-boyfriend. It's the first series Dunham has writtenand directed since the iconic Girls ended in 2017, and stars Megan Stalter and Will Sharpe as made-for-each-other lovers navigating the various pressures of their thirties. The hilarious script, brilliant performances from a cast that includes Andrew Rannels, Richard E Grant and Naomi Watts and Dunham's zeitgeisty grip on the neuroses of a generation are sure to make it a huge summer hit. 'Lena leans in to some of the more 'feminine' ways of directing – over communication, consideration of everyone on set. Instead of being this domineering presence, her power lies in grace and in the ability to make everyone feel comfortable,' explains Ratajkowski, who has been friends with Dunham for more than a decade. They met when Ratajkowski first shot to fame after appearing in a Robin Thicke music video, which she later described as a pretty horrific experience: 'I didn't have any real power as the naked girl dancing around,' she wrote in the essay 'Blurred Lines', which was part of her book. 'I was nothing more than the hired mannequin.' Dunham, she tells me, was a welcoming and understanding ally, 'when no one really was, to be honest'. They went on to share drafts of their books and give each other notes. Now, 'it's a really beautiful friendship'. Dunham wrote the part especially for her friend, so Ratajkowski really couldn't turn it down, which is something she often does these days. 'I don't agree to a lot of offers,' she says. It's because she's busy writing and parenting. But also, she adds: 'I really value control. In my twenties, I didn't have a lot of it in my career. Now, I like making things and I like not being an addition to them. With Lena, I got to shape the character so much, which was really fun. It gave me a bigger role than just an actor for hire.' Morgan Maher Top, £1,380, and shorts, £1,010, both PRADA The show resonated for Ratajkowski as it explores the tension between the growing confidence and perennial sense of WTF that is so prevalent in one's thirties. 'I'm fascinated with this decade of my life,' she tells me. 'My mom had me at 39, and I remember she always romanticised her thirties as a time of self-exploration and power as a woman. I'm in the midst of it and really feel that way too.' We discuss how, in your twenties, you might think, 'Yeah, I want this', but have no concept of time, because you haven't lived enough. But now, being 34, she can remember what 24 was like. 'I know exactly what 10 years feels like, and what consequences are.' Now, she says, she understands how she can shape the next period. 'You can't control everything, but you can move towards something to give yourself the life you want, which really excites me, because when I think about 34 to 44, I'm like, 'Oh man, there's so much opportunity.' I can be so much more intentional than I was in my twenties and there won't be, like, accidents.' Morgan Maher Dress, £4,300, PRADA Ratajkowski might be a successful polymath today (starring in films such as Gone Girl , being the face of Marc Jacobs' new handbags and writing feminist polemics), but when she was younger she was 'ashamed of being a jack of all trades, and really wanted to be the person who was really excellent at one thing'. Her parents were intellectuals, and after they moved from London, where she was born, to California, she recalls her artist father having a studio that was as big as their house, and her mother, a writer and professor, creating an entire reading curriculum for her from the age of five. 'I don't think my parents ever pushed me in a certain direction. We're not religious people, so what we talked about was our stories, and politics. My dad would bring his paintings in when he was done, and we'd look at them and discuss them. And I was included in that.' Morgan Maher Hat, £1,100, PRADA. Earrings, Ratajkowski's own Talking to me about her own son, whom she had with her former husband, the producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, she says all she wants is for him to be good at critical thinking. 'I don't have any idea what he should do with his life. I think it's great when you're interested in making things and working with creative people. I want to give him that gift, but if he decides that there's something that's more fulfilling to him, that's wonderful.' It's incredible to think that Ratajkowski was only 10 years older than her son is now when she was scouted and signed to Ford Models. Her parents were supportive, eventually, enjoying the financial security and the glamour it offered, but they were no doubt thrilled their only daughter later pivoted into acting and, later, writing. She's at a good point with her writing, she says, a year and a half on from 'being in the misery of it'. After dropping Sly off at school, if she doesn't have a car picking her up to take her to a shoot, she'll return home to write and edit all day. Morgan Maher Cardigan, £1,610, and shorts, £690, both PRADA 'I used to be somebody who would write in bed and on my phone – basically anything to make it seem as if I wasn't feeling pressure. Now, I actually really enjoy the ritual of sitting down and being like, 'We're getting to work.'' Writing is, she tells me, what's getting her through this moment in American politics. 'I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about [writing], so it definitely provides a welcome distraction and focus. I hate when people, celebrities specifically, are like, 'I'm just really just focusing on my own life right now.' It's what we all do to survive [the sense that you have no control over nightmarish global politics] but, listen, the world could end tomorrow. It is important to really enjoy your life and take care of the people that you're close to.' She relates heavily to a recent piece in The New Yorker by Jia Tolentino titled 'My Brain Finally Broke'. (Ratajkowski admits she is 'chronically online', and if there's a viral long-form feature, you can bet she's read it.) In the article, Tolentino explains that 'much of what we see now is fake, and the reality we face is full of horrors. More and more of the world is slipping beyond my comprehension'. 'I'm so overwhelmed by the state of the world,' Ratajkowski says. 'It's really hard. I used to feel slightly ashamed by that. But I think there's something important in just being like, 'I'm not really totally sure what to do.'' Morgan Maher She says that 'every year I've become more and more left-wing, which is great because I think that in college there's this idea that you're going to become more conservative as you get older. But between Joe Biden and now Trump, I just feel more connected to [the left]. Basically, there's no confusion for me.' She describes the last four years of American politics as 'being asleep at the wheel'. 'With Biden,' she says, 'people were like, 'He's left-wing enough and he's not crazy. He looks like what a president should look like.' He said the right things, and I think that a lot of people backed off being politically engaged. Now, we're in a state of shock in the US, because just the first hundred days [of the Trump administration] have been this unbelievable news cycle.' She points to the demonisation of transgender people and says: 'I can't believe what's happening when it comes to trans people in this country. It's terrifying. I have friends who are parents of trans kids, and they're thinking about Canada, they're thinking about moving. I have friends who've travelled internationally and been questioned, and have had their IDs changed. I don't care about gender, other than as a personal expression. So it's really hard for me to understand this thinking and the desire to control people. But the personal is political.' Morgan Maher Jacket, £2,650, trousers, £1,150, and bag, £4,150, all PRADA So, for Ratajkowski, is fashion. She becomes visibly animated, perhaps more so than she has been throughout the entire call, leaning towards the camera, her eyes darting mischievously. 'It's a little bit of a walk to my son's school now, so I can't wear heeled shoes,' she tells me. 'But, when I was in the city, we lived two blocks from his preschool, and I would often just leave for work from there. At that point I was hosting my filmed podcast, so I would be in an outfit.' How did that go down with the other parents, I wonder. 'Oh, I was definitely dressed up compared to them. I think that's actually one of the ways I really enjoy being subversive with motherhood. There's so much around what a mom should look like.' Morgan Maher Shirt, £1,610, PRADA She believes that people who are really concerned with how they come off as a parent maybe aren't always necessarily focused enough on how they actually are. 'I know what kind of mom I am, and I only deeply care about my son's reaction to that. Anybody else who has opinions about me as a mother because of the way I dress – it's just so inconsequential.' I picture Ratajkowski dropping her son off at preschool this morning, wearing a fabulously explicit piece of art on her T-shirt, before tossing her beautiful hair over her shoulders, checking her phone, filming some hot takes and then heading home to write a feminist critique. 'I don't know, maybe it's getting older. Maybe it's motherhood, but it just is what it is,' she says, shrugging. And does she care about what other people think, I ask. 'No,' she answers. 'I don't think I do.' HAIR: Hos Hounkpatin at The Wall Group. MAKE-UP: Emi Kaneko at Bryant Artists. NAILS: Maki Sakamoto at The Wall Group. STYLIST'S ASSISTANTS: Gal Klein and Kenny Paul. ON-SET PRODUCTION: Gigi Guldas Morgan Maher This interview can be found in the July/August issue - available on newsstands now. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE . The Audacity Of Emily Ratajkowski Lotte Jeffs Lotte Jeffs is the author of five books and their debut novel This Love, about the power of queer friendship, is out now.
Cosmopolitan
30 minutes ago
- Cosmopolitan
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Where is Victoria Kalina now?
If you're anything like us, you've been busy this week watching America's Sweethearts: The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The second season of the Netflix docuseries follows another cohort of rookies as they compete to make the cut for a coveted position on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad. And, yep, there's some major drama as the competition gets increasingly cut throat. This series saw some amazing character arcs (we'll forever root for Dayton!) but fans of the show might have been missing a certain someone from season we're talking about Ms Victoria Kalina. So, what has Victoria been up to since season one? And where is she now? We get into it below... Victoria Kalina is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who was featured on the first season of America's Sweethearts. She first tried out in 2018, but didn't make the cut. She then joined the squad in 2019, but took a hiatus in the 2021 - 2022 season to cope with her mental health. Before appearing on America's Sweethearts, she was featured in seasons 13, 14 and 15 of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team, a show which aired from 2006 to 2021. In total, she spent four years on the squad and followed in the footsteps of her mother, also a former DCC, who was even friends with the DCC director Kelli Finglass. Throughout the show, she was outspoken about her experiences with depression and disordered eating. She emerged as a fan favourite in season one, however, the show saw her walk away and avoid re-auditioning for another year. Cheerleaders can only be a part of the group for a maximum of five years and, ahead of trying out for her final year, Victoria spoke with Kelly and DCC choreographer Judy Trammell about whether she might expect to occupy a leadership position in the squad. However, the duo indicated that this would be unlikely, leading Victoria to not re-audition. Since leaving the show, Victoria has opened up about the difficult decision to Us Weekly. 'In the meeting, y'all saw five minutes of it, but it was an hour and a half. It was what everybody else saw on Netflix, just longer. Since I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear, I ultimately was going like, 'Well I'm just gonna hang it up on no now.' But I never wanna make a rash decision. I wanted to sit on it. I wanted to get my mom's opinion. And after talking about it with her, she was like, 'No.' As a fifth year going into auditions, I felt like my place on the team was threatened. As a fifth year — I know leadership is not guaranteed — but you wanna go in like feeling cloud nine [so] you can lead these other teammates.' She continued: 'Anyone in any career position, having four years under your belt, you wanna see where you're going, you wanna see growth. So I just decided to put my time and energy elsewhere.' In an interview with The Cut following her departure from the DCC squad, Victoria shared that she was preparing the audition for the Rockettes, a legendary Radio City dance squad. She revealed on Instagram in April 2025 that she was sadly not cast as a Rockette, writing: "This year is a 'not now' for the Rockettes but I can't wait to continue to push this next year and continue to see what other spectacular things unravel in this magical city". Speaking to The Cut last year, Victoria shared that she was teaching private and group dance classes and had moved to New York City. She still appears to be living in NYC and has a robust social media following (499,000 TikTok followers and 461,000 Instagram followers). On her social channels she posts dance videos, and seems to have a particular soft spot for the discography of fellow dance queen Tate McRae. America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders is available on Netflix now
Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I finally binged 'The Bear' to catch up before season 4 — and it's transformed how I watch TV
In the fast-paced world of streaming, the newest releases tend to steal the spotlight. The best streaming services like Max, Netflix, and Disney Plus constantly push their latest shows and movies to the forefront. But that makes it hard to catch up on all the must-watch TV shows if you're not much of a binge-watcher (guilty) or tend to be skeptical of anything that's universally hyped (also guilty). The latter may sound overly cynical (eh, I can be guilty of that too), but you have to understand that, out here near Chicago, people adore "The Bear." They will not shut up about it. The onslaught of "The Bear" recommendations began with literally the first episode, which includes a one-line shoutout about Rockford, where I'm based, that was the talk of the town for weeks. I wish I was exaggerating. Tired of hearing about how much I just have to watch "The Bear," I finally sat down at the start of the month to check out Hulu's Emmy-winning comedy-drama series. With "The Bear" season 4 premiering on June 25, I doubted I'd be able to catch up in time. And I was wrong. Turns out, binge-watching is for me after all — and my sleep schedule already hates me for it. I severely underestimated how bingeable "The Bear" would be. The hype was all well-deserved. Pretty much from the first episode, I was glued to my couch, devouring all three seasons in just a few short weeks. I can already feel you seasoned binge-watchers shaking your heads — that must be a snail's pace by comparison — but like I said, I don't tend to binge-watch shows. Every once in a while, one like "Yellowjackets" gets its hooks into me, but I thought it was the exception rather than the rule. After two or three episodes, my attention span tends to be on its dying legs; meanwhile, my actual legs are itching to get up and do something else after sitting for so long. I prefer savoring series, taking regular breaks to reflect on what happened, sit with the characters' choices for a bit, and appreciate the pacing or overarching themes. Even the juiciest of cliffhangers are rarely enough to convince me to hit "next episode" once I'm tired of watching TV for the day. But "The Bear" has made a binge-watcher out of me yet. While I considered pacing myself, "The Bear" felt almost tailor-made for a binge. Between the short episode lengths (a bite-sized 30 minutes) and the way each installment plays out like a self-contained stage play, I found myself only hungry for more by the time the credits rolled. Set in Chicago, "The Bear" tells the story of fine-dining chef Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) who returns home to rescue his late brother's floundering restaurant — and it's nothing short of remarkable. The dizzying highs and crushing lows as Carmy whips The Beef into the restaurant he and his brother always dreamed of having are captivating to watch unfold. Part of that secret sauce is how each episode adds new ingredients to play with. Flashbacks that illuminate each character's motivations and struggles. Explosive fights (and there are a lot of those) that reveal more than the characters mean to. Or small moments that add up to heart-wrenching realizations several episodes — or even seasons — later. With its raw, chaotic portrayal of family dynamics and mouth-watering food, I'm not surprised "The Bear's" achieved such cult status. The constant simmer of conflict threatened to burn me out at times, but then a quieter, more reflective episode would reset my palette. I particularly enjoyed season 3's debut episode, "Tomorrow," which completely upended my understanding of who Carmy is with a series of contemplative, devastating flashbacks of his career. I adore it anytime a show makes me fall in love with a character I initially despised, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Cousin Richie is one for the history books. He goes from a complete asshole to an asshole worth cheering for. Beneath the bravado and outbursts, he's grieving, insecure, and trying (however messily) to find his place in a world that's evolving without him. One of my favorite moments in the show so far was seeing him belt out Taylor Swift's "Love Story" in the car after coming into his own in season 2. While there's truly no universal rule for how to watch TV shows, "The Bear" has made me reconsider my stance on binge-watching. As much as I prefer giving stories space to breathe between episodes, I can't deny that "The Bear" was improved by devouring its twists and turns in an insatiable marathon. Binge-watching still isn't my default, but for the right show, it can be the ideal way to experience things.
