Netflix Is Hyping a Bloodier, Grown-Up Stranger Things Rival — So Where’s Season 2?

Stranger Things is wrapping up with Season 5, which means there is about to be a Hawkins-sized hole in a lot of watchlists. If you still want teen survivors, gnarly infections, and a high body count, Netflix has been nudging folks toward its 2022 Korean zombie hit All of Us Are Dead. Season 2 is finally in motion after a long wait, so here is where things stand and what you can actually expect.

Why Season 2 took this long

All of Us Are Dead exploded out of the gate in 2022, becoming one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English shows and topping the Global Top 10 when it debuted. On the back of that, Netflix renewed it three years ago. And then... nothing. Radio silence for ages, which had fans (reasonably) wondering what the holdup was.

According to reporting out of Star News Korea last year, the plan had been to start filming in 2024. That shifted to give the team time to scale up: bigger scope, higher production value. The cameras ultimately didn’t roll until July of this year, 2025. Netflix Korea confirmed the start of production with a video showing the cast at a table read — a very specific kind of behind-the-scenes reassurance after years of quiet.

"The story was written with a second season in mind, so if it were to happen, there would be more interesting stories."

That was director Lee Jae-kyu setting expectations in an interview with Hypebae back when fans were still asking if a sequel would even happen. It did — it just took the scenic route.

What Season 2 is actually about

The new season reportedly jumps ahead with Nam On-jo now at university, still carrying the trauma of Hyosan on her back. Just when she tries to rebuild, a fresh outbreak hits, forcing her and a new circle of friends to fight their way through it. Not complicated, but that is kind of the point: the show lives or dies on character panic and set-piece chaos.

Who is back (and who is new)

Returning from Season 1: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, and Lomon. New faces joining the fray include Lee Min-jae, Yoon Ga-i, and two actors you might recognize from Squid Game, Kim Si-eun and Roh Jae-won.

When you will be able to watch it

Because filming only kicked off in July 2025, do not expect to binge this anytime soon. Barring delays, Netflix is aiming for 2026. If production goes smoothly, think mid-year to late-year — anywhere from summer to the last quarter feels realistic.

Quick refresher

All of Us Are Dead premiered on January 28, 2022, with Lee Jae-kyu directing, and it currently sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. It helped redefine how big a Korean genre series can play globally on Netflix, which explains the extra time and money being put into Season 2.

All of Us Are Dead and Stranger Things are both streaming on Netflix right now. And while we wait: what are your go-to gore-soaked TV shows? Drop your picks — I am always looking for something that pairs well with late-night regret.