Qual era o grande segredo de Richie?

Você adivinhou certo.

As duas grandes evidências são a cena simbólica, que você observou, mas também o final do filme em que

Richie carves R + E into the kissing bridge, which stands for Richie + Eddie.

Você também está correto, pois este é um desvio significativo do livro.

A GGMG respondeu muito bem, mas também há palavras oficiais sobre isso. Primeiro, mesmo no romance, foi sugerido conforme o produtor:

Barbara Muschietti told IGN that there was one key Richie and Eddie moment from the book that stuck with her over the years: "The scene of Eddie's death, when Richie is saying goodbye, and caresses his cheek stuck with me for a good, what, 30 years. The way I interpreted it was that there was love there. I don't know if romantic, I don't know. But it feels totally natural that it would be unrequited love. To me, when Andy presented it as a possibility, it felt very natural."

Mas desta vez eles não quiseram apenas sugerir, mas mostrar para qual também era a demanda do ator:

Bill Hader wanted the film to commit fully to making Richie gay or to not even bring it up. "Andy and I talked about how overt we should make it, and I said if it’s not overt, then why is he in the movie?," Hader told the New York Times. "You can’t do a half measure on it. You’ve got to go the full way or don’t even allude to it. Let’s not be coy. Let’s just say what it is."