Finn Wolfhard is Developing a Biopic on Iconic ’80s Band The Replacements
As fans gear up for the final season of Stranger Things, Finn Wolfhard is diving into another project that also pulls him back into the ’80s. The actor and musician is teaming with his father Eric Wolfhard and producer Rich Peete to adapt Bob Mehr’s acclaimed biography Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements into a feature film.
The Wolfhards are co-writing the screenplay, with Peete producing through his Neighborhood Watch banner. Peete and Wolfhard recently worked together on A24’s The Legend of Ochi, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
Published in 2016, Mehr’s Trouble Boys is considered the definitive story of The Replacements, the legendary Minneapolis punk band that helped shape American alternative rock. The group, which consists of Paul Westerberg, Bob Stinson, Tommy Stinson, and Chris Mars, left behind a chaotic and groundbreaking legacy.
They were famously banned from Saturday Night Live by Lorne Michaels after a profanity-filled performance in 1986, a moment that marked their messy downward spiral. Despite that, their influence went on to fuel a new wave of rock giants like Nirvana and Green Day.
Mehr, a veteran music critic and Grammy-winning essayist, saw the book become a New York Times bestseller while also being named book of the year by NPR and Rolling Stone.
For Wolfhard, this project continues his growing presence behind the camera. He recently co-directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the Neon horror flick Hell of a Summer with Billy Bryk. At the same time, Wolfhard has been carving out a space in music, currently touring in support of his debut solo album Happy Birthday.
Wolfhard talked about working on the project in secret with his dad. “I’ve been writing a lot of music and writing this movie with my dad, which has been really amazing,” he said.
“It’s about a band that I think weirdly I have a lot in common with, a lot of the members. I can’t really talk about the actual band because I don’t have the rights officially yet.”
Now that the rights are secured, it’s official, the Wolfhards are bringing Trouble Boys to the screen.
Source: Variety