The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)

A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.

Director:

Eli Roth

Writers:

Eric Kripke (screenplay by), John Bellairs (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Black	...	Jonathan Barnavelt
Cate Blanchett	...	Florence Zimmerman
Owen Vaccaro	...	Lewis Barnavelt
Kyle MacLachlan	...	Isaac Izard
Renée Elise Goldsberry	...	Selena Izard
Colleen Camp	...	Mrs. Hanchett
Sunny Suljic	...	Tarby Corrigan
Lorenza Izzo	...	Mother
Braxton Bjerken	...	Woody Mingo
Vanessa Anne Williams	...	Rose Rita Pottinger
Charles Green	...	Soda Jerk
De'Jon Watts	...	Clark (as DJ Watts)
Aaron Beelner	...	Clown Automaton
Joshua Phillips	...	Clown Automaton
Christian Calloway	...	Azazel

Storyline

Lewis Barnavelt, after losing his parents, is sent to Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan. He discovers his uncle is a warlock, and enters a world of magic and sorcery. But this power is not limited to good people: Lewis learns of Isaac Izard, an evil wizard who constructed a magical clock with black magic, as long as it exists it will keep ticking, counting down to doomsday. He died before he could finish the clock, but he hid the clock in his house, where Uncle Jonathan now lives. Now Lewis and Jonathan must find the clock before it finishes its countdown and ends the world.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | secret passage | child | 1950s | neighbor | 

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Taglines:

This house knows what makes you tick.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements including sorcery, some action, scary images, rude humor and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA India Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Filming Locations:

Greenville Street, Newnan, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,608,020, 23 September 2018, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$67,878,830, 13 November 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks,Amblin Entertainment,Mythology Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (DTS: X) Auro 11.1 IMAX 6-Track Dolby Atmos (Dolby Atmos+Vision) Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, Jack Black can be heard whistling a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. This same melody was used by Tenacious D, the band that Jack Black is in with Kyle Gass.

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Goofs

Jonathan's last name is Barnavelt, the same as Lewis. But it's revealed that Jonathan is Lewis' maternal uncle, so Jonathan should have Lewis' mother's maiden name as his last name, not Barnavelt.

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Quotes

[the clock strikes]
Jonathan Barnavelt: Three gongs... last time it was four. What happens when it gets down to one?
Mrs. Zimmerman: Nothing good, that's for certain.

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Crazy Credits

The Amblin Entertainment logo is the 80s version.

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Connections

Referenced in Film 24: Episode dated 21 September 2018 (2018)

User Reviews

Good atmosphere, two great actors, but...

Sorry to criticize the kid, but the boy can't act and it was painfully distracting. It would also be more interesting if more fun magic tricks were shown...