The Black Phone Director Offers Update on Sequel Status (Exclusive)

With Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone, based on the short story by Joe Hill, audiences were taken to the frightening world of "The Grabber," a disturbed kidnapper whose victims ended up leading to his downfall in a supernatural surprise. This world is full of various storytelling opportunities that could be set in the past, present, or future, with Derrickson confirming that a follow-up film is definitely still on the table, though if Ethan Hawke didn't return as The Grabber, it wouldn't be a story worth telling. Derrickson most recently contributed to the anthology film V/H/S/85, which hits Shudder on October 6th.

While speaking with ComicBook.com in support of V/H/S/85, when asked about a The Black Phone sequel, Derrickson confirmed, "It's possible. It's not a definite thing, but if it does become definite, you'll be the first to hear." As far as the importance of Hawke to the experience, Derrickson added, "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."

Joe Hill similarly pointed out how the mask worn by The Grabber would be a significant fixture of any future films.

"There have been some really, really good conversations about a sequel. And the thing is, as soon as I saw the mask, which was designed by Tom Savini and Jason Baker, as soon as I saw the mask I thought, 'If this film is a hit, there'll be a sequel,' because the mask is so iconic," Hill admitted to ComicBook.com in 2022 about a sequel. "It is like Freddy Krueger's glove, it is like Michael Myers' mask, it is this thing where it's the imagery, iconic imagery, that haunts people's sleep. And, look, in horror, guys like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, and Frankenstein, and Dracula, none of these guys stay buried. They all claw their way out of the grave for a sequel and then a threequel." 

He continued, "There have been talks about how to do a sequel that wouldn't suck. How to do a sequel that doesn't cheapen the film that came before, that's still scary, that's still intense, that feels organic. And those conversations have been pretty good. But if I were to provide any details, Scott and [writer C. Robert] Cargill would lock me in the basement in the film, and that's it. And the phone doesn't work. As you know, the phone doesn't work. I can't call anyone to get out. So I would decline to offer any real granular details about the possible sequel."

In the meantime, audiences can see Derrickson's latest effort in V/H/S/85.

This new sequel is described, "An ominous mixtape blends never before seen snuff footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten '80s."

Filmmakers who have contributed to this latest installment include Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Doctor Strange, The Black Phone), David Bruckner (The Ritual, Hellraiser - 2022), Gigi Saul Guerrero (Bingo Hell, The Purge TV series), Natasha Kermani (Lucky), and Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn - 2021).

Stay tuned for updates on a sequel to The Black Phone. V/H/S/85 hits Shudder on October 6th.

Would you like to see a sequel to The Black Phone? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!