Joe Hill has established himself as one of the most interesting voices in the world of current horror fiction with works like Horns, NOS4A2, Locke & Key, and various projects with his father, none other than Stephen King. In 2004, Hill wrote a nerve-wracking short story called The Black Phone for British horror magazine The Third Alternative (now known as Black Static), which told the tale of a demented serial killer with a taste for children.
Equally as esteemed in the horror scene is filmmaker Scott Derrickson, who came to prominence with Hellraiser: Inferno, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, and his 2012 breakout smash hit Sinister. After hitting it bigger than ever before with Marvel Studios in 2016 with the release of Doctor Strange, Derrickson is now poised to make his triumphant return to pure bloodcurdling horror with a film adaptation of The Black Phone, and if the first looks and recently released trailer are any indication, it'll be a true return to form for the director.
The film stars Ethan Hawke as the chilling and psychotic child killer known as "The Grabber", sporting a truly scary looking mask to go with his unpleasant personality. Mason Thames also stars as a bright 13-year-old boy named Finney Shaw who is set to become The Grabber's latest victims, but the discovery of a mysterious phone just may help him escape, as he can hear the voices of previous victims through it.
The phone is dead. And it's ringing.
'The Black Phone' hits theaters February 2nd, 2022.
