Mason Thames has been quietly building a résumé for years, but this fall the 18-year-old actor is popping up in feeds far beyond the horror crowd.
Between a buzzy streaming debut, a franchise that refuses to die, and a fast-growing fanbase online, Thames has become one of the most-searched young names in Hollywood this month.
Thames broke out as the lead in 2022's *The Black Phone*, holding his own opposite Ethan Hawke as the masked Grabber.
The film became a sleeper hit, pulling in roughly $161 million worldwide on a modest budget and turning its young star into a genuine box-office draw overnight.
That momentum is now paying off in a big way.
Thames voices Hiccup in the live-action *How to Train Your Dragon* remake, a role that put him in front of a massive family audience and introduced him to viewers who never touched a horror movie.
The film's strong theatrical run kept his name circulating through the spring and summer, and streaming has only extended the tail.
Meanwhile, *Black Phone 2* arrived in theaters this October, and the sequel chatter has been relentless.
Thames returns as Finney Blake, and early audiences have been dissecting every scene for clues about where the franchise goes next.
Whether you loved it or found it messy, the conversation has kept him trending on social platforms for weeks.
What's fueling the search spike isn't just the credits, though.
Thames can carry a brutal survival thriller and then turn around and voice a lovable animated dragon trainer without missing a beat.
That range is rare for someone who can't legally rent a car, and casting directors have clearly noticed.
Clips of his press interviews, red carpet moments, and behind-the-scenes footage routinely rack up millions of views, and the comment sections fill up fast with the same reaction: wait, that's the kid from *The Black Phone*?
That kind of discovery moment is catnip for algorithms, and it's a big reason his name keeps surfacing in "who is this?" searches.
October is horror season, and Thames happens to be the face of one of the biggest horror releases of the month.
Studios know exactly what they're doing when they slot a sequel like this into spooky season, and the seasonal hype machine has done its job.
The next question is what he does with the leverage.
Young actors who break out in genre films often get boxed in, but Thames has been careful, mixing voice work, franchise sequels, and smaller projects rather than chasing the biggest paycheck in sight.
That patience tends to pay off over a long career.
For now, he's in the sweet spot every rising star wants: recognizable enough to headline, unknown enough that audiences are still curious.
Hollywood loves a fresh face with a proven track record, and Thames currently has both. **Our take:** Thames is the rare young actor whose buzz feels earned rather than manufactured, built on real box office and genuine audience goodwill instead of a PR push.
If he keeps choosing roles this shrewdly, the "next big thing" label won't stick for long, because he'll simply be the thing.
Final Thoughts
The real test comes when the franchises slow down and he has to carry something entirely on his own name.