In news that’s sure to prick up the ears of horror fans everywhere, hit factory Blumhouse are partnering up with Netflix for a feature length adaptation of Stephen King short story Mr Harrigan’s Phone, which hails from the author’s most recent collection If It Bleeds.
The prolific Ryan Murphy is also involved with the producorial team as he continues to maintain the relentless levels of content he’s been developing under his lucrative deal with the streaming service, while The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks and The Little Things‘ John Lee Hancock is set to write and direct.
That’s quite the assembly of talent behind the scenes, and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone has cast its two leads already, as per Deadline. The title character is a reclusive elderly billionaire, who forms a bond with a small town kid named Craig over their shared love of books, with the youngster buying his new friend an iPhone so they can stay in touch. When Mr. Harrigan passes away, it turns out Craig’s iPhone can be used to communicate with him from beyond the grave.
While that doesn’t sound like your typical King setup, rest assured that there’s plenty of supernatural shenanigans and mysterious death in the source material. Production begins this month with Donald Sutherland and It‘s Jaeden Martell heading up the cast, and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone is expected to land on Netflix before the end of 2022.
