The Black Phone is an American supernatural horror film from 2021, written and directed by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill. Mason Thames plays Finney, a teenage boy kidnapped by a serial child killer known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). When Finney finds a supernatural black rotary telephone in confinement, he utilizes it to plan his escape by speaking with The Grabber's previous victims. Derrickson and Cargill co-produced The Black Phone with Jason Blum, the CEO of Blumhouse Productions. The film's commercial distribution was overseen by Universal Pictures, and finance came from a Universal-Blumhouse co-production agreement as well as North Carolina state government tax subsidies.
Derrickson and Cargill adapted Joe Hill's short story of the same name, which inspired The Black Phone. Derrickson struggled to generate more ideas to support the short story, so he turned his attention to other movie projects. Production remained inactive until he quit Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to artistic disputes. Derrickson developed The Black Phone narrative based on his childhood memories in suburban Denver, Colorado. Principal photography began in February 2021 with a budget of $16-18 million and ended the following month. Shooting occurred on sets and on site in Wilmington, North Carolina. The film's score was composed by Mark Korven and featured both modern and old synthesizer sounds.
The Black Phone debuted at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2021, and, after multiple delays, appeared in US theaters on June 24, 2022. It was a surprise success at the box office, making $161.4 million worldwide. Critics gave the picture largely excellent reviews, praising its performances but divided on its theme. The success of The Black Phone generated the in-canon short film Dreamkill, directed by Derrickson and written by him and Cargill, which was released in 2023 as part of the anthology film V/H/S/85; a sequel is set for October 17, 2025.
Cast[]
| Character | Actor | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Finney
|
Mason Thames | |
|
Gwen
|
Madeleine McGraw | |
|
Terrence
|
Jeremy Davies | |
|
Max
|
James Ransone | |
|
Detective Wright
|
E. Roger Mitchell | |
|
Detective Miller
|
Troy Rudeseal | |
 
|
Robin
|
Miguel Mora (as Miguel Cazares Mora) | |
  
|
The Grabber
|
Ethan Hawke | |
 
|
Bruce
|
Tristan Pravong | |
 
|
Billy
|
Jacob Moran | |
 
|
Vance
|
Brady Hepner | |
|
Griffin
|
Banks Repeta | |
International versions[]
| Language | Title | |
|---|---|---|
|
Cantonese | 接駁靈聲 |
|
Czech | Černý telefon |
|
French (Canada) | Le téléphone noir |
|
French (Europe) | Black Phone |
|
German | The Black Phone The Black Phone - Sprich nie mit Fremden |
|
Hindi | द ब्लैक फ़ोन |
|
|
Hungarian | Fekete telefon |
|
|
Italian | Black Phone |
|
Japanese | ブラック・フォン |
|
|
Malay | The Black Phone |
|
|
Persian (Faraz Studio) |
تلفن سیاه |
|
|
Persian (Qualima) |
تلفن سیاه |
|
|
Persian (Sokout Studio) |
تلفن سیاه |
|
|
Persian (Studio Talents) |
تلفن سیاه |
|
|
Persian (Upera) |
تلفن سیاه |
|
Portuguese (Brazil) | O Telefone Preto |
|
|
Russian | Чёрный телефон |
|
Spanish (Latin America) | El teléfono negro |
|
|
Spanish (Spain) | Black Phone |
|
Turkish (Seshane Stüdyoları) |
Siyah Telefon |
|
|
Turkish (Lokalist Stüdyoları) |
Siyah Telefon |
|
|
Ukrainian | Чорний телефон |