The Black Phone, a Blumhouse film adapted from a short story by Joe Hill (you may remember him as Stephen King’s son), was an unexpectedly successful horror movie last year.
Directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill, the movie was initially planned to be a one-off narrative. However, it has done remarkably well at the box office, earning $161 million worldwide against a budget of just $18 million. And with 81% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, a sequel was too good of a chance to pass up. And now we know there will be a sequel. So, what’s the deal with that? Here, you’ll find out.
The Black Phone 2 Renewal Status
Universal has announced that they will release The Black Phone 2 in October 2023. Given that the confirmation was accompanied by a release date, it’s probable that work had already begun. Several months after Jason Blum’s April 2023 CinemaCon 2023 tease, in which he called Black Phone the “first in one of the studio’s newest franchises” (via comicbook.com), the sequel was officially confirmed. Production on the sequel to The Black Phone has not yet begun, and neither the director nor the screenwriter have been announced.
The Black Phone 2 Release Date
The sequel to Universal and Blumhouse’s 2021 horror film Black Phone now has a set release date. On Friday, June 27, 2025, according to Variety, audiences will be able to see The Black Phone 2. The studios reportedly call the impending sequel the “launch of a sinister new franchise.” There was no mention of the actors or storyline of The Black Phone 2 when the release date was announced.
The Black Phone 2 Cast
Child actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, who were the standouts of the first film as siblings Finney and Gwen, are likely to return. Hawke has indicated interest in returning for additional films, however, his character, The Grabber, was killed off at the conclusion of the first one without any supernatural explanation, so his return is not out of the question.
Although Jeremy Davies might return as the drunken father of Gwen, Finney, and Terrence, the reappearance of James Ransone as his brother Max is quite unlikely. Of course, we may also anticipate the introduction of some fresh people, including maybe a new A-list villain…
About The Black Phone
According to the official description, “the film tells the story of Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic murderer and trapped in a soundproof basement.” When a wall-mounted phone suddenly starts ringing, Finney learns that he can hear the killer’s prior victims’ voices inside his head. And they’re determined to prevent Finney from experiencing the same fate.
The Black Phone 2
Director Scott Derrickson has said that writer Joe Hill has a few ideas about what the narrative of The Black Phone 2 may include, but no concrete information has been released as of yet. Scott Derrickson said in a 2022 interview with comicbook.com that he would be willing to return to helm a sequel to The Black Phone if Hill came up with a good story.
There’s some mystery around Joe Hill’s potential sequel to The Black Phone, but there are plenty of avenues open with the plot as it is. Perhaps in the next installment, The Grabber will be shown doing something similar, only scarier, to the calls made by his deceased victims.
One alternative is to investigate The Grabber’s background and try to figure out what has shaped him into the person he is now. Derrickson has said that Hill has generated a concept he’s pleased about, so fans may hope for an interesting and perhaps horrific sequel to The Black Phone 2.
The Black Phone Review
It’s a familiar tale, but the telling here is excitingly new and packed with verve and passion. The narrative hooks you from the get-go, as you begin to care about the mysterious Grabber and his wicked methods of abducting children. Blood and gore are restrained for a picture of a serial murderer, yet the film still manages to provide plenty of suspense and chills.
Although “The Black Phone” is a bleak picture, there is a glimmer of light among the stench of murder, kidnapping, and child abuse that permeates its narrative. This perfect harmony is what makes this horror movie so compelling.