Black Phone sequel gets an exciting update from director Scott Derrickson

Scott Derrickson just revealed that Black Phone 2 is going to turn up the dial, so expect a meaner tone, a more intense ride, with extra gore and a darker tone that leans into what made the first film a success. Co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, the film has been rolling out at festivals and is lined up for a wide push this fall. With Ethan Hawke returning as the Grabber alongside new cast additions, the film is already creating significant buzz.

In an interview with SFX Magazine, the director opens up on how the sequel will have more gore and more intensity, with more mature characters as he gets deeper into their emotions. Speaking to the outlet, Derrickson says,

"There's certainly more intensity and more gore. We were rated R, and one of the things we were rated R for was gore. There's no gore in the first movie at all. I didn't want to intensify the violence and horror to be more edgy. I was interested in being more mature, going deeper into the emotions of these characters and trying to make a movie that worked as a pair."

The film also has the premise of a high-school, as we follow Finney, who survived the Grabber's attack in the first film. Addressing why he chose high-school as the backdrop, the director adds,

"The reason I wanted to do a high school movie was that it has more interesting emotional stakes. It requires a different tone than a middle school coming-of-age supernatural movie...The change that you go through between Middle School and High School may be one of the biggest, most dramatic changes you go through in your lifetime, and I was really interested in who these characters have become, having gone through something so extraordinary."

Everything we know about Black Phone 2

The Black Phone 2 brings Scott Derrickson back to the dark corners of suburban nightmares, returning with a sequel that promises to be more unsettling and emotionally charged than its predecessor. Co-written and produced by Derrickson and his longtime collaborator C. Robert Cargill, alongside horror maestro Jason Blum, the 2025 supernatural thriller digs deeper into trauma, grief, and the chilling echoes of the past that refuse to stay buried.

The film was shot under the working title Mysterium, with Pär M. Ekberg serving as the cinematographer on the fog-laced outskirts of Toronto.

Following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 20, 2025, The Black Phone 2 has already generated buzz for its mix of nostalgia and fresh horror energy. Universal Pictures will release the film on October 17, 2025, promising a return to the black phone’s ringing call from the beyond, and a terrifying reminder that some voices never stop calling.