Ethan Hawke has joined the cast of Scott Derrickson’s “The Black Phone,” the big screen adaptation of a short story by Joe Hill.
It reunites Hawke with Blumhouse. The Oscar-nominee previously starred in “The Purge,” and appeared as abolitionist John Brown in Showtime’s “The Good Lord Bird,” both of which the company produced. Hawke’s also a close friend of Blumhouse founder Jason Blum. “The Black Phone” will be distributed by Universal and starts production in North Carolina in February.
Blumhouse didn’t provide any plot details, but based on previous reports, the film seems to be about a kidnapped boy who receives calls from the dead on a disconnected phone while he is locked in a soundproof basement. Derrickson previously directed “Sinister” and “The Exorcism of Emily Rose,” as well as the comic book smash “Doctor Strange.” He was originally slated to direct “Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness,” the sequel to the film, but left the project in 2020 due to creative differences
Hawke is a four-time Academy Award-nominated actor and screenwriter, whose credits include “Boyhood,” “Training Day” and “Reality Bites.” He will next star alongside Nicole Kidman and Alexander Skarsgard in “The Northman,” Robert Egger’s follow-up to “The Lighthouse,” as well as “Zeros and Ones,” a thriller from Abel Ferrara.
Derrickson and Robert Cargill, his frequent co-writer, adapted Hill’s short story. The two men will produce the film alongside Blum. Hill will also serve as an executive producer.
Hawke is represented by CAA, MGMT Entertainment, George Sheanshang and ID Public Relations.
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