Hold on to your hats, movie lovers! A new star is rising, and his name is Mason Thames. The young actor is taking the box office by storm, and in 2025, he's achieving a feat previously held by comedy legend Jim Carrey. This is the story of how a rising star eclipsed a comedy icon.
Mason Thames, at just 18 years old, is proving to be a box office powerhouse. He first caught our attention in the 2022 horror film The Black Phone, where he played Finney Blake, a teenager terrorized by the film's villain, The Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke. But his true dominance came in 2025.
In a stunning display of star power, all three of Mason Thames' 2025 films hit the number one spot at the box office. This remarkable achievement mirrors Jim Carrey's 1994 success with Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber.
Let's break down the numbers. In 2025, Mason starred in How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD), which earned a staggering $636 million globally. He then reprised his role as Finney in Black Phone 2, which brought in $104 million worldwide. Finally, the romantic drama Regretting You added another $50 million globally to his impressive tally.
In HTTYD, Mason took on the lead role of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a quirky young Viking who forms an unlikely bond with a rare dragon, despite his village's age-old feud with these creatures. The film is based on the incredibly successful DreamWorks animation of the same name, which was released in 2010 and has become one of the most beloved film franchises to date.
Black Phone 2 saw Mason revisit his role as Finney, now tormented by The Grabber from beyond the grave. And in Regretting You, adapted from a novel by Colleen Hoover, known for her works like It Ends With Us and Verity, Mason plays the sweet and charming Miller Adams. Miller, though from the wrong side of the tracks, has a heart of gold and is the love interest of the main character, portrayed by Mckenna Grace, who is also Mason's girlfriend in real life.
But here's where it gets interesting: Mason's roles seem to have influenced each other. He admitted to finding it challenging to separate his characters. He mentioned how his portrayal of Hiccup in HTTYD influenced his performance in Black Phone 2.
Mason expressed his joy at the opportunity to play such diverse characters. He said, "Just getting the chance to play all these different characters – it's my dream...The best part of this job is playing characters so vastly different from each other, especially Finney and Miller. Miller is a sweet, kind, caring dude, and I'm a hopeless romantic at heart. I've always loved this type of movie, so I've always wanted to do something like that."
What do you think? Are you impressed by Mason Thames's rapid ascent? Do you see him as the next big thing in Hollywood? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
