The Black Phone Sequel Gets Official 2025 Release Date

Last year's The Black Phone, an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story of the same name, is confirmed to be getting a sequel from Blumhouse Productions, as IndieWire revealed that the sequel has a 2025 release date. The movie was directed by Scott Derrickson, with both he and Hill teasing that there were plans to expand the universe with either a sequel, prequel, or spinoff, but this report doesn't contain any information on whether either creative will be involved. Additionally, The Black Phone starred Ethan Hawke as "The Grabber," though it's also unknown if he will be reprising his role. The Black Phone 2 has a release date of June 27, 2025.

Derrickson confirmed earlier this month that his latest project, a segment from the found-footage anthology sequel V/H/S/85, took place in the world of The Black Phone. This not only sparked excitement about the connections between the two properties, but it also confirmed that future stories could be set in that supernatural world that wouldn't have to directly feature the same figures.

While speaking with ComicBook.com, Derrickson did address whether he would like to return for a proper The Black Phone sequel, with the director offering the condition,  "It's possible. It's not a definite thing, but if it does become definite, you'll be the first to hear ... I can tell you this much, I wouldn't make a Black Phone sequel without Ethan. I don't think there'd be any point in doing that."

Derrickson and Hawke previously collaborated on 2012's Sinister, with that film getting a sequel that neither Derrickson nor Hawke were significant components of. This means that, while it might currently be referred to as "The Black Phone 2," the upcoming project could deviate from that debut film entirely and earn a title that implies a more expansive universe.

In the movie, Hawke plays a kidnapper and murderer of children, with Derrickson previously expressing that he's not particularly interested in learning more about how Hawke became the monster we met in that film.

"I think that when it comes to sociopathology and true psycho killers, part of what makes them interesting is their otherness and the fact that there is no story that could explain the mystery of what it is that they do. And I think the best villains that we've seen in genre filmmaking don't try to reduce them to some backstory that explains why they are the way they are," Derrickson shared with DiscussingFilm last year. "Why is Heath Ledger's Joker [in The Dark Knight] the way he is? He tells us three or four stories about how he got those scars -- probably none of them are true. Maybe one of them is true? The point is, we'll never know and that just adds to his mystery."

Derrickson continued, "If Hannibal Lecter had a story that said, 'This is why he became a cannibal and started eating people.' Suddenly, Hannibal Lecter wouldn't be that interesting. So when people say they want more, good, I want them to want more. You know, that's the mystery of this kind of sadistic killer." 

The Black Phone 2 is set to hit theaters on June 27, 2025.

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