Earlier this year, The Black Phone 2’s surprise announcement had me and many other fans of this outstanding picture wondering where the sequel’s plot could go? More importantly, questions surrounded whether Ethan Hawke or any of the other members of The Black Phone’s cast would return for director Scott Derrickson’s upcoming horror movie. Well, we have our answer now, as Hawke and more familiar faces are back, and I love this strong connection to the past!
Reported by Deadline, a handful of the roster to 2022’s Universal hit are indeed heeding the call of this second round. While it’s not 100% confirmed that everyone will be playing their respective characters, here’s the acting talent that’s returning for The Black Phone 2, and who they played in the first film:
- Ethan Hawke (The Grabber)
- Mason Thames (Finney Blake)
- Madeleine McGraw (Gwen Blake)
- Jeremy Davies (Terrence Shaw)
- Miguel Mora (Robin Arellano)
To be honest, I’m only hedging my bets with the “not 100% confirmed” angle because I totally think that these Black Phone players are coming back. With author Joe Hill’s source material already being supernaturally tinged, and ghosts very much being able to communicate with the realm of the living, Finney’s conversations with Robin and ghosts of the past don’t seem to be over.
Perhaps some of the leftover questions from The Black Phone are set to be answered, or at least become a little clearer in scope. Maybe we'll see the origins of The Grabber? Perhaps Finney and Gwen Blake's abilities will be used for catching another killer that's inspired by The Grabber's motives? Has Terrence learned to stop hitting his children for good? Again, it's hard to be sure, but I think we're going to see the The Black Phone 2 play as a continuation rather than an anthology.
Another fun fact to keep in mind is that Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill have already started to build out the universe in another spinoff. Through the V/H/S ‘85 short “Dreamkill,” Gwen’s existence is already being spoken of seven years after the events of The Black Phone. So this sequel is more than likely going to be set not too much longer after the first chapter, leaving the memory of Finney’s abduction fresh in the minds of all involved.
As such, the ghosts of the past are primed to haunt The Black Phone 2, with Ethan Hawke’s Grabber and Miguel Mora’s Robin potentially serving as an angel and devil on the shoulders of Finney and Gwen Blake. While I was both scared and excited for this sequel, my anticipation is moving towards “excited,” as whatever unfinished business coming from the previous call has to be pretty serious to linger.
There's plenty of time to look for those answers, as The Black Phone 2 is set to debut in theaters on June 27, 2025. In the meantime, the previous installment is currently streaming with a Peacock subscription, just in case you want to revisit The Grabber’s reign of terror and supposed defeat.
