Finn Wolfhard may always be known for being one of the stars of Stranger Things, but he is making every effort to branch out beyond the hit Netflix show, making his feature directing debut as the co-director and co-writer of a horror/slasher comedy Hell of a Summer.
Clearly taking some inspiration from the classic summer camp-set horror stories like Friday the 13th, Hell of a Summer promises to be a gory, comical rendition of the horror genre favorite. But is it going to be as fun as that sounds?
Here’s everything you need to know about Hell of a Summer.
Hell of a Summer release date
Neon has set Hell of a Summer to be released exclusively in US movie theaters on April 18, joining the 2025 new movie schedule. Details on the movie’s release outside of the US, including in the UK, is TBD.
Hell of a Summer cast
After a year in a number of high-profile and well-received movies (Thelma, Gladiator 2, Nickel Boys), Fred Hechinger is set to lead Hell of a Summer as the elder camp counselor Jason.
Joining him in the cast are Abby Quinn (Knock at the Cabin), D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Paradis Saremi (Death and Other Details), Rosebud Baker (Life & Beth) and Adam Pally (Mr. Throwback), as well as Billy Byrk (Saturday Night) and Wolfhard, who are acting in addition to their writing and directing roles on the movie.
Hell of a Summer plot
Here is the official plot of Hell of a Summer:
“Hell of a Summer follows 24-year-old camp counselor Jason Hochberg, who arrives at Camp Pineway thinking his biggest problem is that he feels out of touch with his teenage co-workers. What he doesn’t know is that a masked killer is lurking on the campgrounds, brutally picking counselors off one by one.”
Hell of a Summer trailer
Watch the Hell of a Summer trailer right here:
Hell of a Summer directors
As mentioned, Finn Wolfhard is making his directing debut with Hell of a Summer, but he is doing so with Billy Byrk as his co-director, who also made his directing debut with the movie. Wolfhard and Byrk have worked together multiple times, including starring alongside each other in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, When You Finish Saving the World and Saturday Night.
Hell of a Summer behind the scenes
It’s actually taken a little bit for Hell of a Summer to come to the big screen. The movie originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2023 but wasn’t picked up for distribution until Neon grabbed it in the summer of 2024, per Variety.
In an interview with Variety from back at TIFF 2023, one of the inspirations for Wolfhard and Byrk to make the movie was their annoyance at how poorly new teen movies represent their generation, so he and Byrk decided “why don’t we just do it.”
Wolfhard and Byrk are also serving as producers on the movie, along with Hechinger, Michael Costigan and Jay Van Hoy. Jason Bateman, meanwhile, is one of the executive producers on the movie.
