The upcoming feature film Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is the latest addition to Netflix's list of Stephen King movies, including Gerald's Game, In the Tall Grass, and 1922. And now, following the author's announcement that the John Lee Hancock-directed film is "nothing short of brilliant," the horror film finally got a release date, creeping its way to the streaming platform on October 5.
Based on King's short story of the same name—part of his anthology collection If It Bleeds—the forthcoming horror film follows a small-town boy named Craig, who befriends a rich older man and teaches him a thing or two about the modern world, including how to use a cell phone, and bonds with him over a shared love of books. But when the old man passes away and Craig discover he can communicate with his friend through the iPhone that was interred with him, things go south as he discovers some connections will endure even after death.
King himself had nothing but praise for the upcoming movie, sharing praise for it on his Twitter. “I have seen a close-to-finished cut of MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE, written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and it's nothing short of brilliant," he said. "Donald Sutherland, Jaeden Martell. Netflix. This fall."
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone stars Jaeden Martell, who played the young Bill Denbrough in the 2017 adaptation of King’s novel It. He will join Emmy Award-winning actor Donald Sutherland as the old, reclusive billionaire. Also starring in the film are Joe Tippett (Patsy & Loretta), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (The Sandman), Cyrus Arnold (Just Beyond), Thomas Francis Murphy (The Walk), and Peggy J. Scott (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel).
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone joins the streaming platform’s holiday releases, including Enola Holmes 2, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Wendell & Wild, and Drifting Home, among others. Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions, and Carla Hacken (The Book of Henry) produce the upcoming film, with Hancock as director and writer.
It is still unknown how well the movie will adhere to the book's plot, and the trailer has not yet been released by Netflix, but stay tuned to Collider for more updates. And since multiple King-inspired films have proven to be a spine-chilling one, we can all assume that Mr. Harrigan’s Phone–to quote the author—is “nothing short of brilliant.”