Finn Wolfhard was almost never in the movie IT.
Think about that for a second. The kid who basically defined the comedic pulse of the 2017 blockbuster—the one who spent half the movie shouting "your mom" jokes at a terrifying clown—nearly missed the boat entirely. Most fans just assume he rode the wave of Stranger Things fame straight into Derry, Maine.
Actually, the opposite happened.
Finn was cast as Richie Tozier back when Cary Fukunaga was still directing the project. When Fukunaga bailed over creative differences, the whole thing stalled. Finn's contract evaporated. With the movie in limbo, he went and auditioned for a little Netflix show called Stranger Things. You might have heard of it. By the time Andy Muschietti stepped in to save IT, Finn was already a global star. He actually had to re-audition to prove he was still the right fit for the "Trashmouth" of the Losers Club.
Honestly, it’s lucky he did. Without his specific brand of frantic, high-pitched energy, the movie would’ve been a much darker, sloggy affair.
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The Richie Tozier Effect: Why Finn Wolfhard Made the IT Movie Work
Richie Tozier is a loudmouth. He’s annoying. In the book, he’s described as having "voices" that range from offensive to just plain bad. Finn Wolfhard took that blueprint and turned it into a defense mechanism that felt painfully real for a 14-year-old kid.
During filming in 2016, Finn was only about 13 or 14. He wasn't just playing a kid; he was the kid.
The chemistry between him and Jack Dylan Grazer (who played the germaphobic Eddie Kaspbrak) wasn't just good acting. It was a chaotic, genuine friendship that translated into some of the best improvisation in modern horror. You know that line about the "gazebos" being meds? Or Richie's relentless mocking of Eddie’s fanny pack? A lot of that wasn't on the page. Screenwriter Gary Dauberman has basically admitted that they gave the kids room to just be "trashmouths" because their natural banter was funnier than anything a 40-year-old writer could cook up.
Behind the Scenes: The Cast and the Money
People love to talk about the "Losers Club" bond, but the business side of the IT movie was just as wild. For the first film, the kids weren't exactly making Marvel money.
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- Initial Pay: Reports suggest the core kids, including Jaeden Martell and Sophia Lillis, earned somewhere between $65,000 and $100,000 for the first film.
- The Sequel Bump: Once the first movie cleared $700 million at the box office, those salaries easily tripled for IT Chapter Two.
- The "Hader" Connection: Here is a fun bit of trivia: Finn Wolfhard basically hand-picked his adult replacement. When asked in interviews who should play adult Richie, he immediately said Bill Hader. The producers listened. Hader later joked that he only got the job because a teenager "bullied" the studio into it.
The dynamic between young Richie and adult Richie in the sequel added a layer of depth that many casual viewers missed. It wasn't just about jokes anymore. By the time IT Chapter Two rolled around in 2019, the subtext of Richie’s "secret" (his feelings for Eddie) became a focal point. Finn had to play the younger version of a man who was deeply repressed, which is a lot of weight for a kid to carry between dick jokes.
Did Success Change the Vibe?
There’s a common misconception that Finn was "too famous" by the time they shot the flashbacks for the second movie. You’ll see people on Reddit claiming he looked "bored" or "detached" in Chapter Two.
I don't buy it.
If anything, he was more comfortable. By 2018/2019, he had already directed his first music video and was starting to look toward his own filmmaking career. On the set of the sequel, he spent time hanging out in Bill Hader’s trailer, not just to talk about the character, but to pick Hader’s brain about directing and writing. He was evolving.
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The "detachment" people think they see is actually just the character of Richie getting older and more cynical.
What’s Next for the IT Universe?
It’s 2026. Stranger Things is wrapping up its final act. The question on everyone's mind is whether we’ll ever see the Losers Club again.
We already have the prequel series Welcome to Derry, which explores the 1960s era and the origins of Pennywise. But there’s been a lot of chatter lately about Finn Wolfhard returning to the franchise in some capacity. Whether it’s a voice cameo, a flash-forward, or even a different role entirely, Finn himself has hinted that he's still "connected" to the Muschietti camp.
Why You Should Re-Watch IT Right Now
If you haven't seen the 2017 film in a while, go back and watch specifically for Finn's timing.
- Look for the "Virgin" line: When Richie asks if only virgins can see the clown, the delivery is so fast it almost feels accidental. That’s pure Wolfhard.
- Watch the eyes: In the scene in the "Neibolt Street" house, look at Finn’s face when he sees the "Missing" poster with his own name on it. It’s one of the few moments he stops talking. The terror is genuine.
- The Bridge Scene: The way he handles the "sucking the snot out of your nose" line to Eddie is a masterclass in being a gross, lovable middle-schooler.
The Actionable Takeaway
Finn Wolfhard's performance in the IT movie remains the gold standard for how to handle a "comedic relief" character in a high-stakes horror film. He didn't just provide jokes; he provided the armor the characters needed to survive. If you're a fan of his work, your next step is to check out his directorial debut Hell of a Summer. You can see the DNA of the IT set—the blend of horror and comedy—all over his own creative choices. Watch the 2017 film again, then jump into the prequel series to see how the atmosphere of Derry has changed. It's the best way to see the full arc of the franchise he helped build.