Finn Wolfhard on Stranger Things Ending, Lord of the Rings Style Shoot
Finn Wolfhard joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance said being in Park City to promote his new film, A24’s ‘The Legend of Ochi,’ feels like a post-graduation moment as it is his first press tour since filming on Netflix’s ‘ Stranger Things’. The actor spent ten years making the show, which marked his acting breakthrough. He filmed the final episode in December.
“It was obviously incredibly emotional,” Wolfhard said of his last day on the set of “Stranger Things.” “These are the last ten years of my life. Also for the makers: the Duffer Bros. started when they were 30 and now they are 40. Everyone has had a long journey and shared it together. My whole childhood was there. It was kind of a ‘Toy Story 3’ moment where you leave your toys behind. It was really special.”
“We’ve had a long last year,” he continued. “We filmed a sort of ‘Lord of the Rings’ style with a year-long shoot. It was a great way to go out and very intense. I feel like it couldn’t have ended better. [‘The Legend of Ochi’] is the first film I’ve promoted since then, so it feels like a post-grad or something. I’m glad everything is coming out.”
Wolfhard will be at Sundance for the premiere of ‘The Legend of Ochi’. The film marks Isaiah Saxon’s directorial debut and uses puppetry, animatronics, matte paintings and 3D animation to tell the story of a shy farm girl named Yuri, who lives in a remote village on the island of Carpathia and was raised to fear an elusive enemy. animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers an injured baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home. The cast also includes Helena Zengel, Emily Watson and Willem Dafoe.
Because the film used puppetry and animatronics, the cast of “Ochi” got to perform on set in real life opposite the fantastic creatures from the film. Wolfhard appreciated this creative choice.
“It makes our work easier,” he says. “It really feels like you’re doing something. Working with practical effects is better. Obviously there are great visual effects and you’re interacting with a tennis ball and it still ends up being great, but there’s something to be said about great craftsmanship, and being able to feel that in a scene really helps.
A24 recently announced that it is postponing the release date for “The Legend of Ochi” after Saxon lost his home in the Los Angeles wildfires. The film will hit theaters on April 25, instead of February 28.
