Finn Wolfhard’s Haunting Experience on Set While Filming Stephen King's IT
Ghost/Paranormal
Monday 28th, October 2024
In a recent interview, Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard opened up about a chilling experience that happened while filming the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's IT. Known for his roles in supernatural dramas like Stranger Things, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and IT, the 21 year old Canadian actor recounted a moment that left him and his co-stars seriously spooked.
Filming for IT, directed by Andy Muschietti, took place partly in an abandoned mansion in Toronto, Canada. The story, set in 1989, follows Wolfhard’s character Richie Tozier and his friends, who call themselves the Losers Club, as they face off against the malevolent entity Pennywise, a demonic clown terrorising the town of Derry. But while Pennywise might have been the main fright on camera, it was an unexplained presence that haunted Wolfhard and his castmates off-screen.
“I’ve been in a lot of supernatural movies and TV shows, but ironically, I’ve never really seen a full on ghost”, Wolfhard told People in a recent interview. “But there was a time when I was a kid shooting IT in this abandoned mansion in Toronto, and me and a bunch of the other cast were exploring the floors".
According to Wolfhard, he and his co-stars made their way up to the top floor of the mansion where they noticed a figure in black, seemingly engaged in electrical work. "We went up to the top floor, and there was one room where we saw a guy in black just kind of doing electrician work, and we were just like, ‘Okay, that’s just a crew member’. But then later, we found out that no one knew who that was, and no one ever saw him again... It could have been someone just messing around, but, yeah, it was pretty scary”.
This unexplained incident added to the already eerie atmosphere on set, which reflected the disturbing tone of IT’s plot. Though no further ghostly encounters were reported, the strange event seems to have lingered in the cast’s memories as one of the film’s most unsettling aspects.
Since then, Wolfhard’s career has taken off. Currently filming the final series of Stranger Things in the role of Mike Wheeler, Wolfhard is expected to return to screens for the show's grand finale in 2025. The beloved series, which follows the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, as they combat creatures from a sinister dimension known as the Upside Down, has captivated audiences worldwide since its debut in 2016.
The upcoming season has drawn fresh attention with the announcement that acclaimed director Frank Darabont will helm two episodes. Known for The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, Darabont has been in retirement for over a decade but cited Stranger Things’ unique heart and optimism as his motivation to return. “What really dragged me out of retirement was that my wife and I really love this show”, he told The Daily Beast. “Our content now is so filled with horrible people doing horrible things for greedy reasons, but Stranger Things has so much heart. That positivity is something I really responded to”.
With a release expected three years after the previous season, the fifth and final installment of Stranger Things promises to bring closure to the story that made Wolfhard a household name. Fans can expect to see returning stars Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, and Caleb McLaughlin, alongside veteran actors David Harbour and Winona Ryder. Each of them, like Wolfhard, has come of age with their characters over the series' seven year span.
Filming for IT, directed by Andy Muschietti, took place partly in an abandoned mansion in Toronto, Canada. The story, set in 1989, follows Wolfhard’s character Richie Tozier and his friends, who call themselves the Losers Club, as they face off against the malevolent entity Pennywise, a demonic clown terrorising the town of Derry. But while Pennywise might have been the main fright on camera, it was an unexplained presence that haunted Wolfhard and his castmates off-screen.
“I’ve been in a lot of supernatural movies and TV shows, but ironically, I’ve never really seen a full on ghost”, Wolfhard told People in a recent interview. “But there was a time when I was a kid shooting IT in this abandoned mansion in Toronto, and me and a bunch of the other cast were exploring the floors".
According to Wolfhard, he and his co-stars made their way up to the top floor of the mansion where they noticed a figure in black, seemingly engaged in electrical work. "We went up to the top floor, and there was one room where we saw a guy in black just kind of doing electrician work, and we were just like, ‘Okay, that’s just a crew member’. But then later, we found out that no one knew who that was, and no one ever saw him again... It could have been someone just messing around, but, yeah, it was pretty scary”.
This unexplained incident added to the already eerie atmosphere on set, which reflected the disturbing tone of IT’s plot. Though no further ghostly encounters were reported, the strange event seems to have lingered in the cast’s memories as one of the film’s most unsettling aspects.
Since then, Wolfhard’s career has taken off. Currently filming the final series of Stranger Things in the role of Mike Wheeler, Wolfhard is expected to return to screens for the show's grand finale in 2025. The beloved series, which follows the residents of Hawkins, Indiana, as they combat creatures from a sinister dimension known as the Upside Down, has captivated audiences worldwide since its debut in 2016.
The upcoming season has drawn fresh attention with the announcement that acclaimed director Frank Darabont will helm two episodes. Known for The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, Darabont has been in retirement for over a decade but cited Stranger Things’ unique heart and optimism as his motivation to return. “What really dragged me out of retirement was that my wife and I really love this show”, he told The Daily Beast. “Our content now is so filled with horrible people doing horrible things for greedy reasons, but Stranger Things has so much heart. That positivity is something I really responded to”.
With a release expected three years after the previous season, the fifth and final installment of Stranger Things promises to bring closure to the story that made Wolfhard a household name. Fans can expect to see returning stars Noah Schnapp, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Sadie Sink, and Caleb McLaughlin, alongside veteran actors David Harbour and Winona Ryder. Each of them, like Wolfhard, has come of age with their characters over the series' seven year span.
