Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are turning up the scary factor with BLACK PHONE 2, the follow up to the hit movie The Black Phone from 2022. Based on Joe Hill‘s short story, the first movie captivated viewers with its creepy supernatural twist and unforgettable bad guy, The Grabber. With original cast members back and director Scott Derrickson back at the helm, the follow-up looks like it will be a darker, scarier experience.
BLACK PHONE 2 RELEASE DATE
Universal Pictures has confirmed that BLACK PHONE 2 will be shown in theaters on October 17, 2025. This comes after months of rumors. The premiere was supposed to happen in the summer, on June 27, 2025, but the date was changed to fall on Halloween, which is a great time for horror fans to return to the world of The Grabber. Along with the news, the first trailer for the movie was shown at ‘CCXP Mexico’, which caused a lot of excitement right away.
The decision to delay the release is in line with when the production is supposed to be done. The movie was shot in Toronto from November 4, 2024, to January 23, 2025. During production, the working title was “Mysterium,” and Pär M. Ekberg was in charge of the main cinematography, making sure that the look was just as creepy and gripping as the first movie.
BLACK PHONE 2 CAST
Many of the main actors from the first movie are back for the sequel. Their performances made the first movie so great. Mason Thames plays Finney Blake again; he is the tough teen who escaped The Grabber’s clutches. Madeleine McGraw is back as Finney’s younger sister Gwen. In the original story, Gwen’s supernatural visions were very important.
Despite the character’s apparent death in the first movie, Ethan Hawke returns as The Grabber, the masked child abductor who terrorized Finney and other victims. The trailer hints at his presence continuing from beyond the grave—transforming him into a malevolent ghost rather than a flesh-and-blood killer.
Also returning is Jeremy Davies, who portrays Finney and Gwen’s troubled father, Terrence and Miguel Cazarez Mora as Robin—one of The Grabber’s past victims who served as Finney’s spectral guide in the first film.
New faces joining the cast include acclaimed actor Demián Bichir, Arianna Rivas, and Anna Lore, though details about their characters remain under wraps. With the focus now on Finney and Gwen navigating high school, the new additions are expected to play significant roles in their development and the horror that follows.
BLACK PHONE 2 TRAILER
The first official trailer for BLACK PHONE 2 was unveiled during the CCXP Mexico event and later released online. It opens with a haunting scene showing Finney, now older and trying to move on with his life, being drawn back into a nightmare he thought he had escaped. The trailer reveals that although The Grabber is dead, his influence still lingers, especially through the black rotary phone that once offered Finney guidance from beyond.
“You of all people should know that dead is just a word,” The Grabber’s voice tells Finney over the phone. The line sets the tone for a ghostly, more psychologically driven sequel. The trailer teases Gwen’s return to the basement in her visions, connecting past trauma with new terror. We also get glimpses of other victims of The Grabber, some reportedly tied to a youth camp from his past, whose ghostly presence adds a new layer to the story.
Director Scott Derrickson confirmed that unlike the first movie, where ghosts were victims, this time, the ghost is the villain. This shift raises the stakes and introduces a more terrifying threat, emphasizing a theme of unresolved trauma. According to Derrickson, the setting and atmosphere will feel harsher and more isolating, reflecting the winter camp locations that inspired the film’s tone.
Derrickson also highlighted a key difference between the two films: age. While the original was a middle school coming-of-age horror tale, BLACK PHONE 2 is set during high school years, bringing a deeper intensity and more graphic content.
“It is certainly more violent, scarier, more graphic,” said Derrickson, citing the characters’ maturity and darker themes as reasons for the sequel’s shift in tone.
The trailer closes with a quick series of disturbing images—a glimpse of the new cast, flickering lights, disorienting camera shots and The Grabber’s eerie mask—offering just enough to thrill fans without revealing too much.
PRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The success of the first Black Phone was both critical and commercial, earning $161 million worldwide on a modest $18 million budget. Its blend of supernatural storytelling and real-world horror made it a standout, and the decision to create a sequel wasn’t immediate. Derrickson revealed that author Joe Hill reached out shortly after the film’s release with ideas that planted the seed for BLACK PHONE 2. Hill’s input, combined with Derrickson’s own experiences from winter camps in his high school years, helped shape the new story.
While The Black Phone was adapted from Hill’s short story, the sequel breaks new ground, allowing for original storytelling while retaining the heart of the first. Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill returned as writers and producers, ensuring continuity in tone and style.
WHAT TO EXPECT
BLACK PHONE 2 is shaping up to be a terrifying sequel that doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia or repetition. With a ghostly antagonist and returning heroes facing psychological and supernatural challenges, the film aims to expand its universe and deepen its emotional resonance. Fans can expect a more mature, intense, and chilling experience that delves into the trauma of survival and the haunting presence of past evil.
Whether you’re returning for Finney and Gwen’s story or eager to see Ethan Hawke terrify once again in a whole new form, BLACK PHONE 2 promises to ring in a fresh wave of horror this October.
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