Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard has directed the first-ever music video for George Harrison‘s ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)’. Check it out below.
The actor and musician’s stop-motion visuals for the late Beatle‘s 1973 single take fans on a journey through the gardens of Harrison’s private estate, Friar Park, in Henley-On-Thames.
It features easter egg references from the icon’s storied career, and is an homage to his love of gardening.
The animation was a collaboration between Toronto-based Nobody Told Me Studios and Tye Down Pictures. Each element of the video was created by hand by a team of 20 stop-motion artists, animating each story beat frame-by-frame.
This resulted in “a tactile, emotionally driven visual world built with meticulous craftsmanship”.
“To work with the Harrison family and bring this video to life with a team of incredible young Canadian artists has been a great honour,” explained Wolfhard of the creative process.
“It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for this opportunity. George Harrison has and will continue to be a huge inspiration to me, and his work will live on forever.”
The ‘Give Me Love…’ clip saw Akash Jones serve as animation director, with Jason Baum and Michael Wamara on production duties. Harrison’s son, musician and composer Dhani Harrison, executive-produced alongside David Zonshine.
Dhani said: “Finn is one of the sweetest and most talented people I know of his generation, and he is the perfect person to direct a video for my dad.
“My dad would have loved this, and I hope his wonderful, creative, heartfelt ideas help this song reach another generation. Great job, Finn – we love you.”
‘Give Me Love…’ appears on Harrison’s 1973 solo album, ‘Living In The Material World’.
Wolfhard is currently appearing as Mike Wheeler in the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. In a four-star review of volume one, NME wrote: “Perhaps inevitably, volume one feels a lot like an appetiser for the rest of the season.
“But even in piecemeal form, Stranger Things has a flair for epic and emotionally resonant storytelling. After all those years, this smart, big-hearted sci-fi show still has the power to turn your head upside down.”
Wolfhard’s feature film directorial debut, Hell Of A Summer, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023. He co-directed/co-wrote the comedy horror with Billy Bryk.
This summer, Wolfhard launched his solo music career with the debut album ‘Happy Birthday’. He previously fronted the band Calpurnia and was one-half of the indie-rock duo The Aubreys.
Speaking to NME earlier this year, Wolfhard shared his dream to record at Abbey Road Studios like his heroes The Beatles, and said he had installed a studio in his house so he could record music every day.
“They’re the whole reason I got into music, and acting too, because with A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, that was like a switch in my head: ‘Oh, you can make music and be funny and be in movies,” he explained.
He also talked about the “very emotional” experience of wrapping up Stranger Things.” It was like saying goodbye to my childhood,” Wolfhard told NME. “It was heavy and intense, but the last day couldn’t have been better. Everybody was in a great place and everyone was on set, so it was a special moment when it finished.”
