In Elite Daily’s series At The Moment, celebs and influencers dish on their current projects, pop culture hot takes, and everything taking over their group chats. Below, Finn Wolfhard talks about bringing Stranger Things to an end, which cast member is most active in the group chat, and how he became the go-to guy to cast for spooky movies and shows.
Finn Wolfhard knows that Halloween is his domain. The 21-year-old actor has become known for taking on roles in supernatural horror projects, from his film debut in the remake of It to battling interdimensional monsters in Stranger Things. Though he wasn’t actively trying to lean so far into the genre, Wolfhard is happy with how ~scary~ his career has been.
“I got really lucky being a part of all this stuff,” Wolfhard says. “I loved horror growing up — vampire movies, anything with special effects. I sort of fell into that as a young actor.”
In keeping with his love of all things spooky, Wolfhard is teaming up with Ring for the house cam’s Great Ghost Search contest, in which people can submit their paranormal footage for a chance to win $100,000.
But ghosts aren’t the only thing scaring Wolfhard right now. The actor has spent pretty much all of 2024 filming the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. This season has been particularly demanding to create, but Wolfhard is soaking up the last moments he has as his character, Mike Wheeler.
The show is mainly filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wolfhard says the cast typically doesn’t leave town on off days. “We end up just hanging out off set, because we’re all really close friends and we know that it’s the last season, so we’re just trying to spend as much time as possible together.”
Wolfhard admits the dynamic among the cast has shifted over the last eight years, mostly because the young stars have grown up making the series. (Wolfhard was just 13 years old while making Season 1.) “We still call Joe [Keery], Charlie [Heaton], Natalia [Dyer], and Maya [Hawke] the teens, even though they’re in their late 20s and 30s, but now we are the same age that those guys were when they started the show,” Wolfhard says. “We’re able to hang out and relate to each other a lot more. We were so young when we started that we didn’t hang with them much because they were older. So it’s been really fun to get closer with everyone.”
It feels like we’ve been shooting one big yearlong movie, or eight feature-length movies.
While Wolfhard has had a great time on set, he’s also aware that Stranger Things fans have grown impatient in the three-year wait for the final season. He has to emphasize just how massive this season is when explaining why it can’t be released any sooner: “I’ll meet fans of the show and they’re like, ‘Oh, why can’t the show come out soon?’ I’m like, ‘I know. I want it to come out soon, but the way we’re filming it is so crazy. We’re basically making eight movies.’”
The statement echoes a similar description his co-star Maya Hawke gave of the final season’s eight episodes, also comparing them to feature films. “It’s exactly what Maya said,” Wolfhard says. “It feels like we’ve been shooting one big yearlong movie, or eight feature-length movies. I’d guess it’s probably 10 or 11 hours long.”
As the long wait for Hawkins’ final battle continues (the only official release date update is that it’s coming in 2025),Wolfhard gets real about the cast’s group chat, recalls his favorite Stranger Things moments, and reveals his favorite spooky things.
Elite Daily: What’s your favorite scary movie?
Finn Wolfhard: Shaun of the Dead is one of my favorite movies ever. And I love An American Werewolf in London. All my favorite horror movies also have some comedy in them.
ED: What’s been your best Halloween costume?
FW: I was probably 9, and I dressed up as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. My mom did my makeup; she killed it on that one.
ED: You’ve starred in a few reboots of classic horror franchises. What’s one that hasn’t been rebooted that you’d love to do next?
FW: It’s so hard to strike the right balance to make a great horror movie reboot. But if I had to say one, a Gremlins sequel would be amazing, honestly.
ED: A few years ago, Joe Keery and Maya Hawke said they were kicked out of the Stranger Things group chat for being “too old.” Are they back in it now?
FW: That’s really funny. I don’t remember that, but I believe it. But yeah, now there’s a chat with all of us.
ED: Who sends the most texts in it?
FW: Probably Noah [Schnapp] or I. But everyone responds, which is really nice.
ED: What’s your favorite memory from making Stranger Things?
FW: There’s a lot. This year, we’re much more nostalgic for the first season because that’s where it all started. So I’d say the filming of Season 1.
ED: Is there a specific scene you’ll always remember as your favorite?
FW: That first opening scene, where we’re playing Dungeons & Dragons. I remember shooting that very well; we were all so excited.
ED: You’ve also begun directing your own films, with Hell of a Summer set for a wide release in 2025. What’s the biggest challenge of being a young director?
FW: Being younger and trying to get people to listen to you; it’s a hurdle you have to jump over time and time again. When you have to explain to an older person that you’re serious, it’s harder for them to listen. That’s a huge thing.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
