As every horror fan knows, a terrifying story doesn’t necessarily have to be about demons and spirits. In the upcoming horror flick The Black Phone, for example, every parent’s nightmare is evoked when 13-year-old Finney (Mason Thames) is approached by a grown man who poses as a fun magician — only to kidnap the teenager when he lets his guard down. The 1970s (and modern world) horror story is set to premiere in theaters this summer, after a shift on the release date that scrapped a February premiere.
Horror film festivals have been displaying The Black Phone poster for a while now. It depicts Ethan Hawke with a spooky mask that would make even the bravest person shake in their boots. The trailer makes a point of showing how the mask is even scarier in motion, as well as how Hawke’s character (dubbed “The Grabber” in the movie) uses it to embody a malignant persona, which Universal Pictures describes as “the most terrifying role of his career”.
Also explored in the trailer is Finney’s connection to other kids – the worldly story takes a supernatural turn when previous victims of the masked man manage to communicate with Finney and team up in order to help him escape, which brings the plot to a whole different level. And, in case you were wondering, the black phone of the title is a machine that supposedly doesn’t work, but it starts ringing out of nowhere and puts Finney in contact with the other kids. You can answer the call here if you want.
The Black Phone is directed by Scott Derrickson, who rose to prominence after directing the critically acclaimed The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Derrickson worked with Hawke on Sinister, and introduced a superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by directing Doctor Strange. The filmmaker co-writes the script with C. Robert Cargill, a frequent collaborator who also penned Sinister and Doctor Strange.
The cast also features Madeleine McGraw (Pacific Rim: Uprising), Jeremy Davies (Lost), James Ransone (It: Chapter 2), and E. Roger Mitchell (Outer Banks).
Check out the official synopsis here:
Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy, is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney. Starring four-time Oscar® nominee Ethan Hawke in the most terrifying role of his career and introducing Mason Thames in his first ever film role, The Black Phone is produced, directed, and co-written by Scott Derrickson, the writer-director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
The Black Phone premieres in theaters on June 24. You can watch the trailer below: