Stephen King's Mr. Harrigan's Phone Just Added A Buzzy HBO Star To Its Cast

A newly-minted TV star is making the jump to films for a new Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King novella. Deadline reports that the streaming service's upcoming "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" has added actor Joe Tippett to its cast, which is headlined by Jaeden Martell ("It," "Knives Out") and Donald Sutherland ("Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "The Hunger Games"). An experienced film and theater actor, Tippett is best known for his roles on television. After appearing on shows such as "Boardwalk Empire," "The Blacklist," and "Rise," he landed a recurring role in 2019 on Apple TV+'s "The Morning Show," playing Bradley Jackson's (Reese Witherspoon) recovering addict brother Hal.

In 2021, Tippett had his breakout performance when he starred alongside Kate Winslet, Julianne Nicholson, and Guy Pearce on HBO's "Mare of Easttown." Tippett played John Ross, husband of Mare's (Winslet) friend Lori (Nicholson). The couple and their family, as well as some of John's other relatives, find themselves at the center of the missing persons and murder cases that make up much of the show's plot. In "Mr. Harrigan's Phone," the family of Tippett's character finds itself in a different sort of deadly web. 

In "Mr. Harrigan's Phone," Joe Tippett will play the widowed father of Craig (Jaeden Martell), who is attempting to raise his son on his own in their small townhome, Deadline reports. In the novella, Craig forms a bond with the elderly Mr. Harrigan (Donald Sutherland), working odd jobs, discussing books, and helping him navigate his cell phone. After Mr. Harrigan dies, the grieving Craig continues to send messages to his phone and discovers — to his surprise and horror — that those messages can sometimes have very real consequences in the world of the living. 

One of a plethora of upcoming King adaptations, "Mr. Harrigan's Phone" is based on a novella included in King's 2020 collection "If It Bleeds," which features four unpublished short works from the author collected into a single book. The film adaptation is being written and directed by John Lee Hancock, who directed "The Alamo," "The Blind Side," and "The Founder," among others. It's being produced through a collaboration between a pair of Hollywood heavyweights: producer and TV magnate Ryan Murphy and movie producer and part-time horror impresario Jason Blum and their respective companies.

The film is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2022.