According to Wolfhard, he had been initially cast as Richie when Cary Fukunaga was attached as director and co-writer, but when Fukunaga left the project over creative differences, the role fell through which allowed him to pursue Stranger Things.
Menurut Wolfhard, dia awalnya diberikan peran sebagai Richie saat Cary Fukunaga sebagai sutradara dan rekan penulis, namun ketika Fukunaga meninggalkan proyek ini karena perbedaan kreatif, peran tersebut berhasil didapatkannya dan diperbolehkan untuk melanjutkan Stranger Things.