‘The Black Phone’ Director Scott Derrickson Thinks Ethan Hawke Is in the Midst of His Own ‘McConaissance’

If you know the work of Ethan Hawke, and we mean beyond acting in movies—the novels he’s written, the stageplays he’s appeared in, the films he’s written and directed both dramas and documentaries—you know Hawke more as an ever-curious artist and adventurous one at that, omnivorous in his taste and hard to be pigeonholed. READ MORE: Ethan Hawke: The Essential Performances His latest project, “The Last Movie Stars,” is his second documentary project following 2014’s excellent, “Seymour: An Introduction,” only this time, rather than a doc feature, it’s an epic six-part documentary about movie stars and married couple Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, their romance, married life, stardom, kids and juggling it all.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentEthan Hawke has signed on to star in Pedro Almodóvar’s next film, “Strange Way of Life,” (“Extraña forma de vida”), a half-hour Western.The Spanish director will shoot the short before making his English-language feature debut, “A Manual for Cleaning Women,” with Cate Blanchett.Hawke stars opposite Chile’s Pedro Pascal, who portrayed Oberyn Martell in “Game of Thrones,” in a film which will be “another exercise of freedom in the line of ‘The Human Voice,’” said producer Agustín Almodóvar.The short will be shot in English. Set up at El Deseo, the Almodóvar brothers’ Madrid-based production company, “Strange Way of Life” begins with a man, Silva, riding on a horse across a desert to Bitter Creek.

Practice makes perfect, right? That’s what adults tell children all the time when they’re growing up. And the sentiment can actually apply to adult life too, specifically in your career.

The box office opening for the movie has beaten expectations, posting projections of more than $20 million. With a reported $18 million budget, “The Black Phone” is set to turn a profit for Universal even if it follows the frontloaded box office performance of most horror films.

J. Kim Murphy It’s a 20th century showdown at the domestic box office this weekend, with the baby boomer epic “Elvis” contending against Gen X revamp “Top Gun: Maverick” for the top spot on domestic charts.Director Baz Luhrmann’s biopic about the King of Rock and Roll is projected to draw $30 million from 3,906 theaters in its opening.

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” made $3.5 million in its preview screenings at the box office on Thursday from over 3,400 screens (inclusive of sneak previews on Tuesday), while “The Black Phone” also made $3 million in its own Thursday preview screenings from 2,800 theaters with showings beginning at 5 p.m. “Elvis,” the biopic about The King Elvis Presley from Warner Bros., is projected to earn in the $28-30 million range.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann’s kaleidoscopic look at the “King of Rock,” grossed $3.5 million in Thursday previews, while “The Black Phone,” a child abduction chiller from Blumhouse,” scared up $3 million. The two films are hoping to make a mark at the box office this weekend, but they face stiff competition from holdovers such as “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Lightyear” and “Top Gun: Maverick.” It’s a wide open field as they elbow their way to the top of the chart.“Elvis,” a Warner Bros.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDirector Baz Luhrmann’s musical biopic “Elvis” dazzled at Cannes Film Festival, earning a 12-minute standing ovation. Will audiences respond with the same, sustained enthusiasm?According to early estimates, the Warner Bros. film is aiming to collect $30 million in its domestic box office debut over the weekend.

original story is a brief one. But Derrickson, along with screenwriter C. Robert Cargill, had the idea to fuse Hill’s horror story with Derrickson’s own emotional experience growing up in North Vancouver in 1978 when he was about the age of Penny (Madeleine McGraw), Finney’s flinty 12-year-old sister whose own supernatural gifts may help her locate her brother.Derrickson went so far as to base many of the film’s characters off real life people he knew as a kid.

The Last Movie Stars,” on July 21. The docuseries centers on Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, and explores their personas, talent and love story.

Ethan Hawke couldn't be more proud of his daughter Maya and the success she has achieved since starring in Stranger Things.MORE: 7 questions we have after watching Stranger Things season four volume 2 trailerIn a recent interview promoting his new movie, Black Phone, the actor opened up to Yahoo Entertainment about how their relationship was discovered by fans.VIDEO: See the Stranger Things volume four part two teaser trailerThe internet was certainly left abuzz when people began uncovering Maya's parentage, although Ethan was simply referred to by many, especially younger viewers, as "Moon Knight guy" in reference to his recent project."I just found out Ethan Hawke from Moon Knight is Maya Hawke from Stranger Things' father im going feral rn," one fan commented, with another saying: "Omg robin's dad is the guy from moon knight."MORE: Ethan Hawke didn't like working with Robin Williams – find out whyHowever, the stance proved to be divisive, as several didn't take the actor's reduction to "Moon Knight guy" quite as well, with one fan tweeting: "Seeing people just now learning that Maya Hawke (Robin - Stranger Things) is the daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke…  Y'all! Read a book!"Ethan Hawke reacting to young TikTokers and Stranger Things fans calling him "the Moon Knight guy"...

And the couple have no worries about turning the big 4-0, with Jamie's wife Amelia telling the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'People who feel funny about turning 40, I tell them, 'Don't. It's the best'. ' 'We had a big party together and it was the best experience.

Did you see Maya Hawke‘s Father’s Day post for her dad Ethan Hawke? It’s a memorable one!

When it comes to celebrating Father’s Day, Maya Hawke likes a bit of trolling.

“The Black Phone” take full advantage of the movie’s basic setup: a suburban teen gets abducted and then struggles to escape his captor’s sound-proof basement. That scenario, co-adapted from a Joe Hill (“NOS4A2”) short story by director Scott Derrickson (“Doctor Strange”) and co-writer C.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticEthan Hawke, in 30 years, has never portrayed a villain before, so it would be nice to say that in “The Black Phone” he not only plays a serial killer — one of those anonymous madmen who live in a one-story house of dingy brick with a dungeon in the basement — but that he makes something memorable out of it. His mask is certainly disturbing.