Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard scripting a remake of 90s classic Idle hands

Finn Wolfhard and Billy Byrk are collaborating on another horror-comedy.

Courtesy of Netflix

Stranger Things has concluded its prolific run on Netflix, but the cast’s work is far from over. 

Finn Wolfhard, who just concluded his nine-year tenure as Mike Wheeler, has already branched out his talents with 2025’s Hell of a Summer, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Billy Byrk. He also has his hands in a remake of the 90s cult horror-comedy from director Rodman Flender called, fittingly, Idle Hands. 

Idle Hands, released in 1999, is about lazy teen stoner Anton Tobias (played by the iconic Devon Sawa) whose hand becomes possessed by the devil and goes on a killing spree, dragging Anton along until he amputates it in his kitchen. The film also featured Seth Green, Jessica Alba, and Elden Henson. 

Wolfhard and Byrk are jointly writing the script for the remake. 

The project was announced in November 2024 and has been in development since. When asked if Devon Sawa would be involved, Wolfhard and Byrk replied with “TBD,” to both that and the question of the pair directing the Jason Reitman-produced film. 

Wolfhard expressed an appreciation for how the original film portrays a teenager losing control of his body during a time when his body is already changing naturally. Byrk also said that the film was already a major influence on the pair when they were developing Hell of a Summer. 

The original film is a proud product of the 90s—featuring the music video for Rob Zombie’s “Dragula” on TV, The Offspring performing live at a high school Halloween dance, and farcical police concerns over a suburban war on drugs (through the appetizing dangers of weed, referred to as pot). 

Considering how Byrk and Wolfhard effortlessly modernized classic genre tropes in Hell of a Summer, we’re very intrigued to see what their contemporary take on a 90s stoner horror-comedy will entail. In 2019, Sawa himself said he’d be curious to see how a modern take on Idle Hands with young, fresh talent would look. He even expressed a desire to return if they ever did a follow-up, describing the original film’s production as a “summer camp.” 

What could potentially be the biggest contrast between the remake and original is the contrasting attitudes towards weed. Marijuana is currently legal for medical use in 40 states, and recreationally legal in 24 states. In 1999, only medical marijuana was legal in five states. 

As of now, the Idle Hands remake does not have a release date.