“Idle Hands” Reboot from “Hell of a Summer” Duo Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk

by Annika March 18, 2025

Following their success with Anora, Neon launches teen comedy-slasher film, Hell of a Summer, co-directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. The ensemble cast, which involves these young directors, portrays a masked killer wreaking havoc at a summer camp, making their premier at TIFF in 2023.

“Idle Hands” Reboot from “Hell of a Summer” Duo Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk

– Neon is set to release teen comedy-slasher film, “Hell of a Summer,” co-directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, in theaters on April 4 following its premier at TIFF in 2023. The film was inspired by the pair’s similar experiences as young actors on set, and explores a story of a masked killer targeting counselors at a summer camp.
– The directors, who met on the set of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” are currently working on the script for a reboot of the horror-comedy “Idle Hands,” with producers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan. Despite not being a major hit at its release in 1999, “Idle Hands” has become a cult favorite.
– Following the release of their first film, Wolfhard and Bryk are keen to work on a variety of projects, not limited to horror or comedy.

With their Oscar success for Anora, Neon is switching gears with a teen comedy-slasher film, Hell of a Summer. The film, which is co-directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, is set to hit theaters on April 4, following its 2023 TIFF premiere. The cast includes Wolfhard, Bryk, Fred Hechinger, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and Abby Quinn, whose characters face a mysterious murderer at a summer camp in the woods.

The creators of Hell of a Summer, Wolfhard and Bryk, first bonded on the set of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, where they nurtured their shared love of horror and teen comedy films. This enthusiasm inspired them to begin work on the movie’s script in 2019. Wolfhard shared that their experience in a youthful and dynamic working environment felt like being at a summer camp. Out of this experience, the concept of a film about a young group at a summer camp with a lurking slasher was born.

Creating the indie film was not without its difficulties. Bryk emphasized the unexpected challenge of shooting a nighttime movie in the short summer nights of Canada, where the sun rises earlier each day.

Wolfhard, known for his role in Stranger Things, admittedly brought knowledge from the TV show into the making of Hell of a Summer. He spent extra hours on set observing the crew, absorbing filmmaking techniques and learning communication skills which he applied to his own project.

Following Hell of a Summer, Wolfhard and Bryk are teaming up again. This time, they’re working on the script for a reboot of Idle Hands, the 1999 horror-comedy film. Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire director Gil Kenan will be producing. Wolfhard and Bryk are excited to breathe fresh life into the concept and reintroduce it to the horror-comedy genre.

Though Idle Hands wasn’t originally a significant hit, it remains popular among die-hard fans. Bryk believes they have a fresh and unique angle on the movie, and isn’t worried about it being an iconic film from the past.

Looking ahead, Wolfhard and Bryk hope to continue making films across a broad range of genres, beyond just horror and comedy. According to Wolfhard, the goal is to keep entertaining audiences, exploring different genres, and making more films.