Keith Thomas (director)

Keith Thomas
OccupationsFilm director, screenwriter, producer, author
Years active2017–present
Notable work
Websitewww.nightplatforminc.com

Keith Thomas is an American filmmaker and author. He is known for directing horror films such as The Vigil (2019) and Firestarter (2022).

Personal life

Thomas is Jewish, a background he drew from for his film The Vigil (2019).[1][2] He has a Master's degree in Religious Education from the Hebrew Union College in New York. He was a lead clinical researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado.[3]

Career

In 2017, Thomas began his career by directing, writing, and producing the horror short film Arkane.[4] That same year, he founded the production company Night Platform. He is also an author and wrote the novels The Clarity (2018), Dahlia Black (2019), and The Dunnie (2022).

In 2019, he made his feature directorial debut with the horror film The Vigil. It stars Dave Davis and was executive produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner, alongside BoulderLight Pictures. The film premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019 and was released in the United States on February 26, 2021, by IFC Midnight.[5][6]

In 2022, he directed, wrote, and produced the music video I Disappear (When You're Near), for A Place to Bury Strangers' album See Through You.[7][8] That same year, he directed the science fiction horror film Firestarter, which is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. It stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong and Sydney Lemmon. It was produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman through their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively. It was released in the United States on May 13, 2022, by Universal Pictures. After the release, he stated that there are ongoing discussions to possibly expand Firestarter into a franchise.[9][10][11] Later that year, he directed an episode for the horror anthology television series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, which was executive produced by Guillermo del Toro. It premiered on October 25, 2022 on Netflix.[12][13]

In 2024, he co-wrote the horror film The First Omen, which serves as a prequel to The Omen (1976), and the sixth overall film in The Omen franchise. It was directed by Arkasha Stevenson and produced by David S. Goyer through his Phantom Four Films banner. It stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. The film was released in the United States on April 5, 2024, by 20th Century Studios.[14]

Filmography

Short film

Year Title Director Writer Producer
2017 Arkane Yes Yes Yes

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer
2019 The Vigil Yes Yes
2022 Firestarter Yes No
2024 The First Omen No Yes

Television

Year Title Note
2022 Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities Episode "Pickman's Model"

Music video

Year Title Artist Ref(s)
2022 I Disappear (When You're Near) A Place to Bury Strangers [7]

Bibliography

  • The Clarity (2018)
  • Dahlia Black (2019)
  • The Dunnie (2022)

Accolades

For his work on The First Omen, he was nominated for "Best Screenplay" at the 2024 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Jordan, Waylon (February 25, 2021). "Interview: Inside 'The Vigil' with Writer/Director Keith Thomas". iHorror. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  2. ↑ Obadiah, Pacific (March 8, 2021). "Keith Thomas Talks Nightmares, Jewish Tradition, and Sound Design in 'The Vigil' [Podcast]". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved September 17, 2025.
  3. ↑ Keith Thomas: Biography, Movies, Net Worth & Photos
  4. ↑ Smith, Jerry (August 3, 2017). "Impressions: Keith Thomas' Witchcraft Short Film Arkane". DailyDead. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ Mintzer, Jordan (September 12, 2019). "The Vigil: Film Review | TIFF 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  6. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (September 13, 2019). "TIFF 2019: The Vigil, First Love, The Vast of Night". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Miska, Brad (February 4, 2022). "'The Vigil' Director Keith Thomas Puts a Horror Spin on A Place to Bury Strangers' Video for "I Disappear"". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  8. ↑ Brodsky, Rachel (November 16, 2021). "A Place To Bury Strangers – 'Let's See Each Other'". Stereogum. Retrieved February 11, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ Cavanaugh, Patrick (May 9, 2022). "Firestarter Director Teases 'All Sorts of Ideas' for Expanding Stephen King Franchise". ComicBook.com. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  10. ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 16, 2019). "'Firestarter' Reboot Taps 'Vigil' Filmmaker to Direct". Variety. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  11. ↑ Sneider, Jeff (December 16, 2019). "Blumhouse's 'Firestarter' Remake Heats Up with 'The Vigil' Director Keith Thomas". Collider. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ Ritman, Alex (September 2, 2021). "Guillermo del Toro's Netflix Horror Anthology to Reunite 'Babadook' Star Essie Davis With Director Jennifer Kent". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  13. ↑ Rice, Lynette (August 15, 2022). "'Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities' Gets Trailer And Premiere Date At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "The First Omen". Writers Guild of America West. May 10, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  15. ↑ Melanson, Angel (July 8, 2024). "The Wait Is Over: Here Are The 2024 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards Nominees". Fangoria. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
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