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2021 and 2022 have brought out a resurgence of many popular actors we haven't seen in ages. Ethan Hawke is one of those actors coming out with popular hits such as "The Black Phone", "The Northman" and Disney's "Moon Knight". His most notable film to come out recently is the supernatural horror thriller, "The Black Phone" which has grossed over 100 million worldwide (not bad for a film that cost 15 million to make).
The revival of popularity in Ethan Hawke has reminded audiences of his other critically acclaimed and profitable films such as: "Training Day", "The Purge", "The Before Trilogy" and "The Dead Poet's Society". The 2022 film "The Northman" has received great praise from critics and received a decent amount of Oscar buzz. Ethan Hawke has proved he's worthy of his 37-year-long career in Hollywood. Take a walk down memory lane with Hawke's other highest-grossing films:
The Black Phone
The 2022 film, "The Black Phone" follows the life of a serial killer in the late 1970s who has an affliction for kidnapping children and holding them in a soundproof basement. The kidnapped, played by Ethan Hawke, is dubbed the Grabber who has been kidnapping and torturing youth for years without being caught. In the basement where the Grabber's most recent victim, Finney, is held you see a phone which is said to be of no use. The movie has an eery tone throughout and is a classic horror/thriller type. One Rotton Tomatoes critic, Wenlei Ma, described the film as an "atmospheric and unnerving horror movie doesn’t just have literal scares, it effectively taps into our primal fears about menacing predators in all forms". "The Black Phone" was only released on June 24, 2022, and has already grossed a whopping 141.2 million worldwide.
2. Training Day
"Training Day" is one of the most notable movies in Ethan Hawke's filmography. The film also stars Denzel Washington who plays crooked narcotics detective, Alonzo, in central Los Angeles in the 1990s. Hawke's character, Jake, is a rookie officer who is shown the ropes by Washington's character only to have a moral dilemma when faced with the reality of the police force and what goes on behind closed doors. The movie came out in 2001 and received praise from critics and audiences alike. Denzel Washington won an Oscar for his performance and Ethan Hawke got nominated for Best Supporting Role along with nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Winning an Oscar always helps the profits of a film and "Training Day" is no exception, earning 104.9 million worldwide.
The Purge
The Purge Series shocked audiences when it first came out in 2013 and became an instant hit with horror movie lovers. Ethan Hawke plays the loving father, James Sandin, whose main objective is to keep his family safe during a dystopian world where one day of the year everything is legal for 24hrs. This was Hawke's first introduction to the horror world and the first film grossed 137 million. Thanks to its popularity four other films came afterward earning the series a massive half a billion dollars.
Dead Poets Society
The "Dead Poets Society" is one of late actor Robin Williams's most beloved films and stars Ethan Hawke alongside him. The movie centers around college students who enter the classroom of an unorthodox English teacher, John Keating, played by Williams. "Dead Poets Society" is a moving film that helps not only teach the characters but the audience as well to look and act outside the box. The awards season loved "Dead Poets Society" and it even earned four oscar nominations one of which was won by writer Tom Schulman. The movie grossed 239 million worldwide.
The Northman
Viking history has been a popular subject for Hollywood ever since the success of the show "Vikings". According to the movie site IMDB, "The Northman" takes over the Viking legacy by telling the tale of "a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder". The movie starred many popular names including Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor Joy, Nicole Kidman, and Alexander and Bill Skarsgard. The film which was released in March 2022 has grossed 68.8 million worldwide.
Moon Knight
The Disney Plus series "Moon Knight" was one of its most anticipated releases for 2022. The series follows the antihero Moon Knight, played by Oscar Isaac, who discovers he has the powers of an Egyptian God which have been granted to him. Ethan Hawk plays the antagonist, Arthur Harrow who was the previous holder of the Moon Knight power. The series got outstanding praise and reached a score of 4.6/5 stars on Google ratings and held 1.8 million viewers.
The Before Trilogy
The "Before" trilogy is one of Ethan Hawke's most notable films. The love story begins in "Before Sunrise" with Hawke's character, Jesse, falling in love with a french woman named Celine one Vienna summer. The two eventually go their separate ways but Jesse (who is a writer) writes a book about their love story which Celine reads and reconnects with Jesse in the sequel "Before Sunset". The trilogy ends with the last installment "Before Midnight" which shows the couple nine years into marriage. Overall the three movies earned a grand total of 48.8 million.
8. The Magnificant Seven
"The Magnificant Seven" brings Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington back together for a Western action film. The story follows a small town named Rose Creek which is taken control of by a gang called the Bartholomew Bogue. Out of desperation, the town seeks out seven mercenaries made up of bounty hunters, hired guns, and gamblers to band together to defeat the gang. The movie took the box office by surprise and grossed 162 million worldwide.
Ethan Hawke's Upcoming Projects
Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgSNw47J9WU/?hl=en
Ethan Hawke has been a household name since the 1980s. But now, Hawke has proved his return to cinema is not only profitable but has hit strong popularity with fans and audiences. The future of Ethan Hawke's career is looking bright with upcoming films including "Raymond and Ray" staring fellow actor, Ewan Mcgregor, who is having a similar resurgence in popularity with his Disney Plus show, "Obi-Wan Kenobi". Hawke will also join the ranks of actors who've played the famous superhero, Batman, in the upcoming animated series, "Batwheels".
Sources: IMDb: The Black Phone, Deadline, Wikipedia: The Before Trilogy