Following their collaboration on the comedic biopic Saturday Night and the recent Ghostbusters movies, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard and filmmaker Jason Reitman are reteaming for a remake of the 1999 movie Idle Hands at Sony Pictures.
What is Idle Hands about?
Written by Rodman Flender, with Terri Hughes and Ron Milbau writing the screenplay, the original Idle Hands was released in April 1999. The plot centered around Anton (Devon Sawa), an average teenager who is kind of a lazy stoner. But his simple life gets turned upside down after his hand gets possessed and it forces him to go on a killing spree. The cast includes Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba, and Vivica A. Fox.
Though it is now regarded as something of a cult classic, the initial response to the movie was lackluster with critics. It likewise failed to land at the box office, making only $1.8 million in its opening week and ultimately grossing just over $4 million against a budget that was estimated to be as high as $25 million. It was released the same month as the Columbine High School massacre, which also impacted the movie’s release plans.
Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, who previously wrote and directed the horror comedy Hell of a Summer, will write the Idle Hands remake. They are also being eyed to direct the project following the positive reaction to Hell of a Summer at the Toronto Film Festival. Neon acquired the film and plans to release it in the summer of 2025.
The remake of Idle Hands also reunites Reitman and Bryk, with Reitman being among the producers alongside Jennifer Todd and Suzanne Todd through their Team Todd banner. Gil Keenan also produces, while Maia Eyre is overseeing the project at Sony.
In addition to returning as Mike Wheeler in the final season of Stranger Things, Wolfhard will also star in the upcoming film The Legend of Ochi.
