In his statement, the actor portraying Mike Wheeler on 'Stranger Things' says that co-writing, directing and starring in his first feature film is his 'real dream.'
- July 14, 2022
AceShowbiz - Finn Wolfhard is set to write and direct his first feature film. The "Stranger Things" actor, best known for his role as Mike Wheeler on the hit Netflix show, is joining forces with his "When You Finish Saving the World" co-star Billy Bryk for upcoming horror comedy "Hell of a Summer".
The duo will write and direct the movie together, while they will also star in it alongside "The White Lotus" actor Fred Hechinger. In a statement Wolfhard said, "I am so excited to be co-directing my first feature film. I get the chance to work with an incredible cast and crew, and to work with a company like 30West and Aggregate is a real dream."
The movie will be produced by Hechinger alongside Aggregate Films' Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan, and Parts and Labor's Jay Van Hoy, while 30West is fully financing and executive producing. Principal photographer is set to get underway this month in Ontario Canada, while plot details are being kept under wraps.
Wolfhard, 19, starred as Trevor Spengler in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" and he previously admitted he was given a lot of freedom with his performance by director Jason Reitman. Asked what might surprise viewers about the shoot, he said, "A lot of it's practical, a lot of the effects are practical, the creatures, mostly, except for the flying ghosts are puppets."
"I mean, Jason allowed a crazy leniency when it came to performances, he allowed me to improvise a lot, which was awesome," he added. "His script with Gil Kenan is so good that I almost never did, but when I had an idea I could go up to Jason and talk to him about it, that was pretty amazing."
Meanwhile, a follow-up is coming in December 2023 as the iconic supernatural film franchise continues, with Reitman at the helm but no casting details as of yet.
