Horror franchises aren’t hard to come by, and some of the best horror movies even happen to be sequels. But even I was taken aback by the surprising news that The Black Phone is getting a sequel. Director Scott Derrickson’s Ethan Hawke-starring spooktacular flick is something I’ve loved since its initial release, and with this new twist, I’m both excited and scared to hear this development.
Let’s start with the basic details: June 27, 2025 is the intended release date for The Black Phone 2, per reporting from Variety. Other than that, all we really know is that Blumhouse and Universal intend this project to be “[the] launch of a sinister new franchise.”
On one hand, that’s to be expected, and a good sign of how this adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story has been received. And yet, reading what we know so far has me concerned, as there are some questions that still need to be answered before I know which path to truly take.
The Scary Part About The Black Phone 2
I’m not going to lie, sequel news kind of scares me when it comes to any movie I like. That is especially true after proclaiming The Black Phone as a perfect gateway horror film for teens to cut their teeth on. That sort of magic doesn’t happen overnight, and it also feeds into the recent inconsistencies of other Blumhouse produced sequels and legacy-quels.
For every Halloween Ends, there’s an The Exorcist: Believer scenario waiting to overshadow it, and that statement could be be reversed depending on who you talk to. So to see The Black Phone, a movie that Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill truly put their love into, getting a sequel is somewhat upsetting. Let’s not forget what happened when their baby Sinister was given its own infamous sibling, Sinister 2.
So laying that on the line, what's to be excited about? Well, there's a new twist in this rapidly progressing tale has given me something to celebrate, and I think you'll agree.
Why The Black Phone 2 Is Still An Exciting Prospect
So when this news first dropped, all we had was the release date and the franchise intentions announced for The Black Phone 2. And I’ll admit, the major source of my anxiety was the lack of mentioning Mr. Derrickson, Mr. Cargill or Mr. Hill as part of this enterprise. Flashbacks to the reactions to Sinister 2 plagued my mind for a moment. but then I saw the below tweet:
Me: I'm only going to make a Black Phone sequel if we have a really great idea.*Phone Rings*Joe Hill: So I've got a really great idea.Me and Scott 30 seconds later: So we're making a Black Phone sequel.October 27, 2023
Well, that was a rollercoaster and a half, wasn’t it? Fellow Black Phone fans, rejoice, as not only is that trio of collaborators involved, they’re excited as hell with the idea they’ve stumbled upon. C. Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson and Joe Hill are pretty thick as thieves too, with the three men knowing what makes this story tick. So The Black Phone 2, with the full triumvirate of storytellers on hand, now has me very excited to see where things go next.
Personally, my guess is The Black Phone 2 will show Finney (Mason Thames) and his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) a couple of years older, if not altogether grown up. Their gifts from the first adventure further honed, evil will either be visited upon the siblings once again, or perhaps a new party sharing their skills will be introduced.
I’ll admit, that’s a lot of vague speculation at this point, and I could be totally wrong. I honestly don’t want to know at this point, because having both The Black Phone 2 and M3GAN 2.0 to look forward to in 2025 is now getting me hyped for a box office calendar that’s still a fair distance away.
For now, The Black Phone 2 is an upcoming horror movie that’s slated to make its next call from the great beyond on June 27, 2025. Those of you wanting to watch The Black Phone don’t need to wait that long, however. All you need is a Peacock subscription at the time of this writing, as that previous installment is currently streaming on that same platform.
