MOVIE NEWS – It’s a rare gesture in Hollywood when a director delays shooting because the actor they want isn’t available.

It’s a rare gesture in Hollywood when a director delays shooting because the actor they want isn’t available. That’s exactly what happened with Black Phone in 2020: writer-director Scott Derrickson waited for Madeleine McGraw to fulfill other commitments, convinced that the 11-year-old was the perfect choice for one of the film’s leading roles. Derrickson took a huge risk by doing so. The delay could have jeopardized Ethan Hawke’s casting as the villain, The Grabber—yet Hawke’s star power was a key factor in securing Blumhouse’s full backing. Hawke’s schedule was already packed by then, but the team ultimately managed to align calendars so that filming could begin in early 2021 with both actors on board.

The gamble paid off: Black Phone became one of 2022’s most profitable films, grossing $161 million on a $16 million budget. McGraw’s performance proved it was worth waiting for her, and so Black Phone 2 has become largely her film: Derrickson put her character at the center of the story. Although The Grabber is killed at the end of the first movie, the nightmare returns in the sequel—haunting Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) in her dreams. That’s why she and her brother, Finn (Mason Thames), decide to follow the clues seen in those nightmares to find the place where they can face the killer again and finally end it.

(Black Phone – now in Hungarian cinemas!)

Source: UIP Dunafilm