LOS ANGELES, March 17 (Reuters) - Netflix ( NFLX ) is inviting

fans back into the supernatural world of "Stranger Things" with

limited theatrical screenings of its upcoming animated series,

"Stranger Things: Tales From '85," the streaming platform

announced in a press release on Tuesday.

Netflix ( NFLX ) said select AMC theaters will host special

screenings of the first two episodes beginning April 18, ahead

of the show's global release on April 23.

The screenings will take place in 34 theaters across the

United States, as well as at the Paris Theater in New York and

Netflix House Philadelphia.

The animated series reunites "Stranger Things" creators Matt and

Ross Duffer as executive producers, alongside showrunner Eric

Robles, best known for creating the animated Nickelodeon series,

"Fanboy & Chum Chum."

Set in the winter of 1985, the series finds Eleven, Mike,

Will, Dustin, Lucas and Max having settled back into something

resembling normal life - filled with Dungeons & Dragons games,

snowball fights and quiet days in Hawkins, Indiana. But peace is

short-lived, as something terrifying awakens, forcing the group

to band together once more to solve a mystery and save their

town.

"Tales From '85" marks the latest expansion of the "Stranger

Things" universe, which has continued to grow since the Duffers

launched their production company Upside Down Pictures in 2022

under an overall deal with Netflix ( NFLX ). That agreement also includes

a planned live-action "Stranger Things" spin-off series.

Beyond television, the franchise has expanded into a Tony

Award-winning Broadway stage play, video games, cosplay,

immersive live experiences and a wide range of merchandise.

"Stranger Things," which premiered in 2016, follows a group of

adolescent friends in rural Indiana during the 1980s as they

confront monsters from an alternate dimension known as the

Upside Down. The series quickly became one of Netflix's ( NFLX ) biggest

breakout hits.