Scott Derrickson Reveals How ‘The Black Phone’ Sequel Was Made and Provides a Surprising Description of the Sequel

Scott Derrickson is shaking things up with The Black Phone 2, describing it as a ‘high school coming-of-age movie.’ That’s a big shift from the first film, which followed middle schooler Finney (Mason Thames) as he tried to escape the terrifying Grabber (Ethan Hawke).

Derrickson shared this surprising direction during an interview with Screen Rant at Sundance, revealing that making a sequel wasn’t something he planned from the start.

The director explained that his time working on The Gorge made him realize how much his young cast would age. ‘By the time I was ready to shoot another film, all those kids would’ve been in high school,’ he said. Instead of working around that, he embraced it, steering the sequel into teenage territory.

Filming wrapped recently, but most details are still under wraps. What we do know is that The Black Phone 2 brings back key players, including Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora.

Adding to the excitement, horror veteran Demián Bichir (The Nun, Let the Right One In) has joined the cast in a mystery role. His involvement hints at a mix of drama and terror, just like the first movie.

Since The Black Phone was based on Joe Hill’s short story and pulled in over $160 million at the box office, expectations are high.

The first film blended horror with a coming-of-age story, and now, with a high school setting, there’s room to explore even deeper fears and challenges. The supernatural elements are still in play, but how they fit into this new environment remains a mystery.

Hawke’s return is especially interesting since his character didn’t exactly walk away from the last movie. This suggests there’s more to uncover about the Grabber and the eerie black phone.

And while the sequel isn’t based on another Joe Hill story, he was involved in shaping the film, meaning it should keep the unsettling psychological edge that made the original stand out.

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