Jump to content

The Black Phone: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Lorenb10 (talk | contribs)
221 edits
Added more information to the short description as well as a link to another Wiki page.
Tags: Reverted Visual edit
Line 39: Line 39:
}}
}}


'''''The Black Phone''''' is a 2021<!-- Do not change to 2022. Refer to MOS:FILMLEAD, which states, "...the year of its earliest public release (including film festival screenings)." --> American [[supernatural horror film]] directed by [[Scott Derrickson]] and written by Derrickson and [[C. Robert Cargill]], who both produced with [[Jason Blum]]. It is an adaptation of the 2004 [[20th Century Ghosts#The Black Phone|short story of the same name]] by [[Joe Hill (writer)|Joe Hill]]. The film stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, [[Jeremy Davies]], [[James Ransone]], and [[Ethan Hawke]]. In the film, an abducted teenager (Thames) uses a mysterious telephone to communicate with the previous victims of his captor (Hawke).
'''''The Black Phone''''' is a 2021<!-- Do not change to 2022. Refer to MOS:FILMLEAD, which states, "...the year of its earliest public release (including film festival screenings)." --> American [[supernatural horror film]] directed by [[Scott Derrickson]] and written by Derrickson and [[C. Robert Cargill]], who both produced with [[Jason Blum]]. It is an adaptation of the 2004 [[20th Century Ghosts#The Black Phone|short story of the same name]] published in the short story collection ''[[20th Century Ghosts]]'' by [[Joe Hill (writer)|Joe Hill]]. The film stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, [[Jeremy Davies]], [[James Ransone]], and [[Ethan Hawke]]. In the film, an abducted teenager (Thames) uses a mysterious telephone to communicate with the previous victims of his captor, who is known as "The Grabber." (Hawke).


Derrickson's departure from directing ''[[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]]'' led him to ''The Black Phone'', a project he and Cargill had already planned on making. Filming took two months in [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] and surrounding counties in the state of [[North Carolina]]. The film premiered at [[Fantastic Fest]] on September 25, 2021, and was theatrically released by [[Universal Pictures]] on June 24, 2022. It has grossed $100 million and received generally positive reviews from critics for its performances and faithfulness to the source material.
Derrickson's departure from directing ''[[Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]]'' led him to ''The Black Phone'', a project he and Cargill had already planned on making. Filming took two months in [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]] and surrounding counties in the state of [[North Carolina]]. The film premiered at [[Fantastic Fest]] on September 25, 2021, and was theatrically released by [[Universal Pictures]] on June 24, 2022. It has grossed $100 million and received generally positive reviews from critics for its performances and faithfulness to the source material.

Revision as of 18:14, 13 July 2022

The Black Phone
Theatrical release poster
Directed byScott Derrickson
Screenplay by
Based on"The Black Phone"
by Joe Hill
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBrett Jutkiewicz
Edited byFrédéric Thoraval
Music byMark Korven
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • September 25, 2021 (2021-09-25) (Fantastic Fest)
  • June 24, 2022 (2022-06-24) (United States)
Running time
103 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16–18 million
Box office$100.4 million[2]

The Black Phone is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, who both produced with Jason Blum. It is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name published in the short story collection 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. The film stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, and Ethan Hawke. In the film, an abducted teenager (Thames) uses a mysterious telephone to communicate with the previous victims of his captor, who is known as "The Grabber." (Hawke).

Derrickson's departure from directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness led him to The Black Phone, a project he and Cargill had already planned on making. Filming took two months in Wilmington and surrounding counties in the state of North Carolina. The film premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2021, and was theatrically released by Universal Pictures on June 24, 2022. It has grossed $100 million and received generally positive reviews from critics for its performances and faithfulness to the source material.

Plot

In 1978, a serial child abductor nicknamed "The Grabber" prowls the streets of a Denver suburb. Siblings Finney and Gwen Blake live in the area with their abusive, alcoholic father. At school, Finney is frequently bullied and harassed. He strikes up a friendship with a classmate, Robin, who fends off the bullies. One of Finney's friends, Bruce, is abducted by The Grabber. Gwen, who has psychic dreams much like her late mother, dreams of Bruce's kidnapping and sees that he was taken by a man in a black van with black balloons. Detectives Wright and Miller interview Gwen but struggle to believe her claims. The Grabber abducts Robin, as well as Finney days later. Finney awakens in a soundproofed basement. On the wall is a disconnected black rotary phone that The Grabber says does not work. Later, Finney hears the phone ring and answers it. Bruce, unable to remember his own name or who he was when he was alive, tells Finney about a floor tile he can remove to dig a tunnel to escape.

The police search for Finney is unsuccessful. The Grabber brings Finney food and leaves the door to the basement unlocked. Finney prepares to sneak out but is stopped by another boy on the phone called Billy. He explains this is a game that The Grabber plays, and he is waiting upstairs to attack Finney with a belt if he leaves the basement. Billy instructs him to use a cord Billy found to get out via the basement window. While climbing Finney breaks the bars on the window, preventing him from climbing back up. Gwen dreams of Billy being abducted and confides in her father about what is happening.

Wright and Miller speak to an eccentric man called Max who is staying in the area with his brother. It is revealed Finney is being held in Max's basement, which he is unaware of, and The Grabber is his brother. After a disturbing encounter with The Grabber, Finney speaks to another one of his victims, Griffin, on the phone. Griffin shows Finney a combination to a lock and informs him The Grabber has fallen asleep upstairs. Finney sneaks upstairs and unlocks the door but The Grabber's dog alerts him to Finney's escape. Finney flees down the street but is recaptured.

Despondent over his failed escape attempt, Finney answers the phone to hear another victim, a punk called Vance whom Finney was scared of. Vance informs Finney of a connecting storage room he can escape through if he breaks a hole in the wall and exit through the freezer on the other side of the wall. Finney creates a hole with a toilet tank cover and enters the back of the freezer only to discover that the door is chained shut. The phone rings one more time with Robin at the end of the line. He comforts Finney and encourages him to finally stand up and fight for himself. He instructs Finney to remove the phone receiver and pack it with the dirt he had dug up to use as a weapon.

Gwen dreams of Vance's abduction and discovers the property of The Grabber. She finds the house and contacts Wright and Miller. Max realizes Finney is being held in the house and rushes to the basement to free him, but his brother kills him. The police rush to the house Gwen found but find it abandoned. In the basement, they find the buried bodies of The Grabber's victims. The Grabber attacks Finney with an ax, but Finney manages to trip the Grabber with the cord, causing him to fall into the tunnel Finney dug, where the Grabber breaks and traps his ankle in the window bars placed at the bottom. The ghosts taunt The Grabber over the phone before Finney breaks his neck with the phone cord, killing him. Finney distracts the guard dog with meat from the freezer and escapes the house using the combination he learned. Finney exits the house across the street from the gravesites where he reunites with Gwen and the police rush to the property. The siblings comfort each other and reunite with their father, who apologizes for his treatment. Back at school, a confident Finney sits next to his crush in class.

Cast

  • Mason Thames as Finney, a young student captured by The Grabber
  • Madeleine McGraw as Gwen, Finney's sister experiencing psychic dreams
  • Ethan Hawke as The Grabber, a child kidnapper and serial murderer
  • Jeremy Davies as Terrence, Finney and Gwen's alcoholic and abusive widowed father
  • E. Roger Mitchell as Detective Wright
  • Troy Rudeseal as Detective Miller
  • James Ransone as Max

The cast also includes Rebecca Clarke as Donna, Finney's crush; J. Gaven Wilde (Moose), Spencer Fitzgerald (Buzz), Jordan Isaiah White (Matty), and Brady Ryan (Matt) as the school bullies; and Miguel Cazarez Mora (Robin), Tristan Pravong (Bruce), Robert Fortunato (Cop), Jacob Moran (Billy), Brady Hepner (Vance), and Banks Repeta (Griffin) as The Grabber's victims.

Production

Scott Derrickson at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.
Ethan Hawke at the 2018 Montclair Film Festival in Montclair, New Jersey.
Scott Derrickson (left) directed The Black Phone. It stars Ethan Hawke (right) as The Grabber.

Scott Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill decided to adapt Joe Hill's short story "The Black Phone" into a feature film while the former was working on the Doctor Strange sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Cargill promised to postpone the project until Derrickson, who had a commitment with Marvel Studios, became available to direct. In January 2020, Derrickson came on board to helm The Black Phone soon after departing from the Doctor Strange sequel due to creative differences.[3][4]

The Black Phone was officially announced in October, with child actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw set to star.[5][6] Thames said his audition took place over Zoom soon after the COVID-19 pandemic began: "It was quite weird and we had bad Wi-Fi. I'd say a line and it would take a few seconds for them to say something back. It got a bit awkward. Eventually I got a callback."[7] In early 2021, Jeremy Davies,[8] Ethan Hawke,[9] and James Ransone were added to the cast.[10] Hawke said he was initially hesitant on playing the villain because he did not want to be remembered for a "scary" performance for the rest of his career, but changed his mind after realizing he was in his 50s. "Villains might be my future", he added.[11]

The film was shot on a $16–18 million budget.[12][13] Principal photography began on February 9, 2021, and concluded on March 27.[14][15] Filming took place at EUE/Screen Gems in Wilmington, North Carolina, and around the counties of New Hanover, Brunswick, and Columbus, under the working title Static.[16][17][18] Mark Korven composed the score during post-production,[19] and the film was completed by December 2021.[7]

Marketing

Lon Chaney in character for "London After Midnight"
The Grabber's appearance was compared to Lon Chaney's character from London After Midnight.

The marketing campaign from Universal Pictures for The Black Phone began with the release of a trailer on August 25, 2021, at CinemaCon.[20] Variety said the film looked "scarier than the COVID-19 delta variant" and called it "the next possible franchise for Universal and Blumhouse."[21] Screen Rant described the reactions to the trailer at CinemaCon as "intense".[22] The film's poster was released on September 25, 2021. Screen Rant found it to be "terrifying" and said it would be "interesting to see if the film lives up to the hype".[22] Collider said the mask in the poster evoked Lon Chaney's character from London After Midnight (1927).[23] MovieWeb said the poster would "be behind your eyelids as you fall asleep tonight. ... we won't be able to see Ethan Hawke again without thinking of him as the terrifying and twisted Grabber. I've heard tell of his 'no villains rule', but clearly he's thrown that out the window."[24] The trailer was released online on October 13, 2021. It was described by Vulture as a "stranger danger PSA".[25] The A.V. Club said it looked like Hawke was "having a ball as the Pennywise-meets-Wonka child killer."[26]

Release

The Black Phone was theatrically released in the United States by Universal Pictures on June 24, 2022.[27] It was originally set for release on January 28 and later February 4 before being delayed again to June 24.[27][28][29] The film had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2021.[30] It also screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and closed the Overlook Film Festival in June 2022.[31][32] The Black Phone will be available to stream on Universal's Peacock website 45 days after its theatrical debut.[33]

Reception

Box office

As of July 10, 2022, The Black Phone has grossed $63.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $36.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $100.4 million.[2]

In the U.S. and Canada, The Black Phone was released alongside Elvis, and was projected to gross $15–20 million from 3,150 theaters in its opening weekend.[34] The film made $10.2 million on its first day, including $3 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $23.6 million, finishing fourth at the box office.[35] Women made up 51% of the audience during its opening, with those in the age range of 18–34 (its target audience[12]) comprising 64% of ticket sales and those below 25 comprising 53%.[36] In its second weekend the film made $12.2 million (and $14.2 million over the four-day Independence Day weekend), finishing fifth.[37][38] It then added $7.8 million in its third weekend.[39]

Outside the US and Canada, the film earned $12.5 million in its opening weekend,[40] $8.3 million (a drop of 28%) in its second,[41] and $4.9 million in its third.[42]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 212 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.0/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Black Phone might have been even more frightening, but it remains an entertaining, well-acted adaptation of scarily good source material."[43] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[44] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak gave the film an 86% overall positive score, with 67% saying they would definitely recommend it.[36]

Screen Rant described the critical response as generally positive, with some criticism for the pacing and "number of scares" but praise for its faithfulness to the source material, Derrickson's direction, and Hawke's performance.[45] Heidi Venable of CinemaBlend agreed, pointing out reviews complimenting the child actors, musical score, and screenplay, and wrote, "It sounds like this Joe Hill adaptation should please moviegoers, as long as audiences know they're in for something deeper than just tried-and-true jump scares."[46]

Accolades

The film was nominated for Best Horror at the 5th Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Film Awards, but lost to Fresh.[47]

Potential sequel

In June 2022, Derrickson said Hill had pitched him a "wonderful idea" for a sequel that he would do if the first film was successful.[48]

References

  1. ^ "The Black Phone (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved June 24, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b "The Black Phone". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Reyes, Mike (May 25, 2021). "Doctor Strange 2: Why Scott Derrickson And C. Robert Cargill Left The Marvel Sequel". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Lang, Brent; Donnelly, Matt (January 9, 2020). "Doctor Strange 2 Director Scott Derrickson Drops Out (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  5. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 30, 2020). "Scott Derrickson To Direct Black Phone For Blumhouse & Universal". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  6. ^ McNary, Dave (October 30, 2020). "Doctor Strange Director Scott Derrickson Boards Blumhouse Horror Movie Black Phone". Variety. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Pener, Degen (June 17, 2022). "Next Big Thing: The Black Phone Star Mason Thames on The Scariest Thing in the Blumhouse Horror Film". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 13, 2021). "Jeremy Davies Joins Scott Derrickson Blumhouse Film The Black Phone". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  9. ^ Kit, Borys (January 28, 2021). "Ethan Hawke to Star in Scott Derrickson's Horror Thriller The Black Phone". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  10. ^ Kit, Borys (March 19, 2021). "It Chapter 2 Actor James Ransone Joins Scott Derrickson's Horror Thriller The Black Phone (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  11. ^ Lawrence, Derek (January 24, 2022). "Ethan Hawke is finally ready to embrace his inner villain". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  12. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 22, 2022). "Top Gun: Maverick Could Upset Elvis At Weekend Box Office As Tom Cruise Pic Flies To $500M Stateside". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Lang, Brent (June 24, 2022). "Box Office: Elvis Banks $3.5 Million in Previews, The Black Phone Scares Up $3 Million". Variety. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  14. ^ "Casting Call: Extras needed for horror movie, The Black Phone, set to film next week". WECT. February 2, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "The Black Phone wraps filming in Wilmington". WECT. March 29, 2021. Archived from the original on March 31, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
  16. ^ "Wilmington-filmed The Black Phone slated for winter 2022 release". Port City Daily. April 29, 2021. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  17. ^ "Wilmington-area productions fuel solid start to 2021 for film in NC". WECT. April 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  18. ^ "Ethan Hawke's horror thriller The Black Phone will film in Wilmington next month". WECT. January 28, 2021. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
  19. ^ "Mark Korven Scoring Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone". Film Music Reporter. June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (August 25, 2021). "Universal Poignant CinemaCon Reel With Sing 2, Marry Me, Black Phone & More Shines Spotlight On Exhibition Workers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  21. ^ Donnelly, Matt (August 25, 2021). "Ethan Hawke Horror Film The Black Phone, Poised as Next Blumhouse Smash, Traumatizes CinemaCon". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Shirey, Paul (September 25, 2021). "Black Phone Poster Reveals Ethan Hawke's Terrifying Villain". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  23. ^ Brady, Erin (September 25, 2021). "The Black Phone Poster Introduces a Terrifying Ethan Hawke". Collider. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  24. ^ Sebren, Brandy Lynn (September 27, 2021). "The Black Phone Poster Reveals Ethan Hawke as Masked Killer 'The Grabber'". MovieWeb. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  25. ^ Curto, Justin (October 13, 2021). "The Black Phone Trailer Is a Stranger-Danger PSA". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  26. ^ Schimkowitz, Matt (October 13, 2021). "Ethan Hawke is one of those creepy magicians in the Black Phone trailer". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on October 14, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  27. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 16, 2021). "Blumhouse's The Black Phone Will Now Ring In The Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  28. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 27, 2021). "Universal Sets Winter 2022 Release For Blumhouse Scott Derrickson Horror Movie The Black Phone". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  29. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 1, 2021). "The Black Phone: Universal Shifts Blumhouse Scott Derrickson Horror Pic A Week Later This Winter". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  30. ^ Melendez, Marcos (September 9, 2021). "Fantastic Fest 2021 Final Final Wave Features Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone and Netflix's There's Someone Inside Your House". Collider. Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  31. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (April 19, 2022). "Tribeca Festival Lineup Includes Corner Office With Jon Hamm, Ray Romano's Somewhere In Queens, More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  32. ^ Vlessing, Etan (April 26, 2022). "Ethan Hawke's Horror Thriller The Black Phone to Close Overlook Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  33. ^ Hayes, Dade (December 9, 2021). "NBCUniversal's New Theatrical Window Scheme To Bring Films To Peacock After As Few As 45 Days Of Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  34. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (June 22, 2022). "Box Office: Elvis Targets $30 Million Debut, The Black Phone Aims for $15 Million". Variety. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  35. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 25". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  36. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 27, 2022). "Elvis Shakes No. 1 Away From Top Gun: Maverick After Dead Heat With $31M+ – Monday AM Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  37. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 26". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  38. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 26 | July 1-4, 2022 - July 4th long weekend (US)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  39. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 27". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  40. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (June 26, 2022). "Top Gun Tops $1B WW, Jurassic World Dominion Nears $750M Global & Elvis Enters With $51M – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  41. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 3, 2022). "Minions: The Rise Of Gru Boogies To $202M WW As Top Gun: Maverick Flies By $1.1B & Jurassic World Dominion Rumbles Past $800M – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  42. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (July 10, 2022). "Thor: Love And Thunder Nails $302M Global Debut; Minions Gru-ving To $400M WW – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  43. ^ "The Black Phone". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 8, 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  44. ^ "The Black Phone". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
  45. ^ Harrison, Alexander (September 27, 2021). "Black Phone Reviews Hype Doctor Strange Director's New Horror Movie". Screen Rant. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  46. ^ Venable, Heidi (June 19, 2022). "The Black Phone Reviews Are In, See What Critics Are Saying About Ethan Hawke's New Horror Flick". CinemaBlend. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  47. ^ Neglia, Matt (July 1, 2022). "The 2022 Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Midseason Award Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  48. ^ Killian, Chris (June 21, 2022). "The Black Phone Director Teases Potential Sequel Plans". Comicbook.com. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=The_Black_Phone&oldid=1097995990"