Black Phone teen star Mason Thames lands new coming of age role

The 19-year-old actor, best known for his roles in the How To Train Your Dragon and Black Phone franchises, has reportedly signed a deal with Sony Pictures for the new movie.

As reported by Deadline, Thames is attached to star in the upcoming film, although plot details are being kept under wraps.

The movie will mark the directorial debut of John Phillips, who has penned R-rated comedies like Dirty Grandpa, No Hard Feelings and Good Boys.

He'll be directing from a script by Wrecked creators Jordan and Justin Shipley, having done a re-write himself with frequent collaborator Gene Stupnitsky.

Thames' breakout role came as Finney Blake in 2021's The Black Phone, having impressed filmmaker Scott Derrickson.

He previously told Rue Morgue: "He has a gift that very few actors, even adult professional actors, have, which is the ability to truthfully and emotionally process every moment, one shot at a time, without overacting.

"It’s in his eyes and in his countenance, and his ability to do that in an honest, real way is something you can’t teach."

While Derrickson admitted Thames "needed quite a bit of direction" due to his "inexperience", once he watched the final cut he described his performance as "flawless".

He added: "He does not miss a single beat, which for a child performance is quite a thing to say."

Thames reprised his role in 2025's Black Phone 2, and the same year he played Hiccup Horrendous in

He's expected to return for the sequel set for 2027, while his other recent credits include Green Day drama Nimrods, Regretting You, and Rated-R comedy Idiots.

When it comes to his diverse filmography, Thames previously told Teen Vogue: "After The Black Phone, it set a tone for a more serious route.

"Then I got [How to Train Your] Dragon, and I didn't want to get typecast as Hiccup, which wouldn't be a bad thing because that character means everything to me.

"But I also wanted to establish myself as an actor beyond that, to take on diverse roles, show range, and check off some bucket-list movies along the way."