The Black Phone Star Ethan Hawke Weighs in on His Return as The Grabber

In the wake of the successful release of The Black Phone, director Scott Derrickson made it clear that he was only interested in returning to the frightful world if star Ethan Hawke would reprise The Grabber, and now that Hawke is confirmed to be on board with the follow-up film, the actor is similarly expressing his admiration for Derrickson. With the finale of The Black Phone hinting at The Grabber's demise, fans have been wondering what we might see in a sequel, and while Hawke himself is equally curious, he knows that whatever Derrickson comes up with will be something worth exploring. The Black Phone 2 currently has a June 27, 2025 release date.

When asked by Screen Rant about what elements of The Grabber Hawke will explore in the sequel, the actor admitted, "I have no idea. I have no idea what I'm trying to explore with my life. I'm an actor and I really enjoy storytelling in all its -- there's a place for small art film, and there's a place for a love story, and there's a place for, 'Let's get together and watch a movie at midnight and scare the hell out of each other,' right?"

He added, "If you're a performer, I have a love for all those different genres, of the ways to tell stories, and I've spent my life trying to push myself to do different kinds of things. That director, Scott Derrickson, is really brilliant, and if he asks me to do something, I'll do it."

The upcoming film is being developed by Derrickson and co-writer on the first film C. Robert Cargill, though it has yet to be confirmed if Derrickson will also be directing the new film. Joining Hawke from the original cast are Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora.

Interestingly, Derrickson previously recalled that he doesn't have much interest in learning about how The Grabber became so villainous.

"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," the filmmaker shared with DiscussingFilm. "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."

He added, "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 currently has a June 27, 2025 release date.  

Are you excited for the sequel? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!