Finn and the Secrets of the Universe

Promotional poster

***Finn and the Secrets of the Universe*** is a 2026 American science fantasy adventure film directed by Thor Freudenthal, and based on the 2018 *Finniverse* book series by Michael Buckley. Starring Hudson Bartram, Jake Weber, Catherine Bradley, Maxwell Simkins and Penna Ziering, with Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Highbeam, the film tells the story of a young boy who, with the help of a cool girl, a bully, a little sister and a robot, sets off on a quest to fight the Plague.

Talks for a *Finniverse* film began in February 2021. By September 2022, Cartoon Network Studios announced that the film would be released in November 2026, with Marc Guggenheim writing the script and Freudenthal to direct. Principal photography began on June 13, 2023, at Pinewood Toronto Studios and on locations in and around Mississauga, Oshawa, and Toronto, and wrapped on October 24.

*Finn and the Secrets of the Universe* was released in select theaters in the United States on November 27, 2026 by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received praise for the cast's performances, Freudenthal's direction, nostalgic tone, and score, with criticism mostly being directed towards its screenplay and pacing. This was Tom Wilkinson's final project before he died, and the film is dedicated in memory of him and he is commemorated during its closing credits.

## Plot

In this middle grade adventure, several children form an unlikely alliance to help save the world after one bonds to an alien weapon that opens interstellar wormholes.

## Cast

* Hudson Bartram as Finn Foley, 2nd born of the Foley children and the protagonist.
	+ Kit Rakusen plays the four-year-old Finn.
	+ Jake Weber plays the character's nihilistic future self.
* Catherine Bradley as Julep Li, Finn’s crush.
	+ Michelle Borth plays the character's future self.
* Maxwell Simkins as Lincoln Sidana, Finn’s bully.
	+ Ben Falcone plays the character's future self.
* Penna Ziering as Kate Foley, Finn’s unicorn-obsessed little sister.
	+ Abigail Breslin plays the character's rebellious future self.
* Neil Patrick Harris as Mr. Doogan, Finn’s middle school principal.
* Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Highbeam
* Tara Jayne as the voice of Goldplate
* Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Asher Foley, father of the Foley children.
* Sarah Rafferty as Cassidy Foley, mother of the Foley children.
* David Koechner as Harry Li, Julep's father.
* Olivia Wilde as Elizabeth Li, Julep's mother.
* Zach Woods as Grant Brown, Asher's colleague.
* Mark Pellegrino as David Sidana, Lincoln's father.
* Lana Parrilla as Heather Sidana, Lincoln's mother.
* Tom Wilkinson as General O'Neal, an experienced and level-headed military leader in Washington, D.C..
* Brett Stimely as U.S. President Joe Biden.
* Gary Gifford as Grandpa Martin, grandfather of the Foley children.
* Etienne Kellici as Brett Trevino, a friend of Finn's from school.
	+ Norman Reedus plays the character's future self.
* Khiyla Aynne as Sally Vargas, a friend of Julep's from school.
	+ Elizabeth Mitchell plays the character's rebellious future self.
* Shamier Anderson as Jamar, the Foley’s friend.
* Wayne Ward as Mayor Davidson, the Mayor of Cold Spring, New York.

Additionally, Boris Cherniak portrays Gordon the Janitor. Adam Murciano portrays Larry the Mailman, who delivers the mail in the Foley's neighborhood. Christopher Russell and Nikki Benz appear as John and Maria Hackett, David and Cassidy's new friends. Henry Czerny portrays a crossing guard. Fabien Marconi portrays a grocery store owner. Joshua Graham appears as Saul, a guy who likes to drink soda. Sophie Bennett portrays Ms. Patten, the teacher at the children's school. Rick Amsbury portrays Vice Principal Mercer, the vice-principal at the children's school. David Paul Grove portrays Donnie Parks, the Foley's neighbor, while Michael Greyeyes portrays Tim Dimaline, David's Native friend, respectively. Louis Ferreira cameos as an ice cream man, Peter Outerbridge cameos as the school security guard, and Nneka Elliott cameos as a news reporter.

## Production

### Development

On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Cartoon Network Studios was developing a feature film adaptation of Michael Buckley's book series *Finniverse*, and were in talks with Marc Guggenheim to write the screenplay. Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman produced the film.

### Casting

On April 7, 2022, Hudson Bartram and Jake Weber were both cast to play the lead role, Finn Foley, both present and future, while Catherine Bradley was in talks to play Finn’s crush. On April 28, 2022, Bradley's casting was confirmed, and Thor Freudenthal was set as the film's director.

On June 20, 2022, Maxwell Simkins joined to play Finn’s bully. On July 4, 2022, newcomer Penna Ziering joined the cast as Finn’s unicorn-obsessed little sister, and on July 8, 2022, Neil Patrick Harris was cast as Mr. Doogan, Finn’s principal at the school.

On August 12, 2022, Roger L. Jackson joined the cast, providing the voice of Highbeam.

### Filming

Principal photography on the film began on June 13, 2023, at Pinewood Toronto Studios. The abandoned factory set was constructed at Pinewood, while the actual factory is located in North York. Much of the location work was done in and around Mississauga during summer 2023, as the town stood in for the real life New York town of Cold Spring; signs and decor were changed as necessary. Homes in the city, and in Oshawa and Pickering, were used as exteriors, while Haldane Middle School exteriors were filmed at the Ancaster Senior Public School in Ancaster, Ontario.

Filming concluded in early November 2023 after 86 days of production.

### Music

Marcelo Zarvos composed the film's score. Kenzie Ziegler composed a song for the film, "Follow You". It was released on August 6, 2026. *Finniverse* author Michael Buckley has often credited Hawkwind's song "Master of the Universe", from their 1971 album *In Search of Space*, as the inspiration for his best-selling book. At Hawkwind's invitation, the song was featured on the soundtrack. The song is played during the film's end credits.

## Release

The film was originally set to be released on Warner Bros.' streaming service, Max, but was later scheduled to be released theatrically. In February 2025, the film was officially announced to be released as a limited theatrical release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released in select theaters on November 27, 2026.

## Reception

### Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 123 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

## Trivia

* Neil Patrick Harris (*Robot Chicken* and *Adventure Time*), Roger L. Jackson (*The Powerpuff Girls*, *The Zeta Project*, *Evil Con Carne*, *Robot Chicken*, *Codename: Kids Next Door*, *Regular Show* and *Teen Titans Go!*), Tara Jayne (*Cartoon Fridays*), David Koechner (*Regular Show* and *Close Enough*) and David Paul Grove (*Ed, Edd n Eddy* and *Krypto the Superdog*) have all starred in other Cartoon Network projects.
* Filming began on June 13, 2023, in Toronto, Canada, and officially wrapped on October 24, 2023.
* The movie is dedicated to actor Tom Wilkinson, who appears in Finn and the Secrets of the Universe, and passed away in 2023. The film's closing credits dedication reads: "In Memoriam: Tom Wilkinson".
* Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Brett Stimely appeared in Watchmen (2009).
* Film debut of Penna Ziering.
* The teen actors were de-aged in the film using a new generative AI-driven tool dubbed Metaphysic Live, the second time ever in a family film.
* The film had a lengthy 86 day shoot.

## Transcripts

### Main Transcript

*Main article: Finn and the Secrets of the Universe/Transcript*
### Trailer transcripts

*Main article: Finn and the Secrets of the Universe/Trailer transcripts*
## Credits

*Main article: Finn and the Secrets of the Universe/Credits*