No surprise here: after Jason Blum teased a potential sequel to “The Black Phone” at CinemaCon earlier this year, the film now has an official release date. Granted, it’s almost a year and a half away. THR reports that Universal has set Blumhouse‘s “The Black Phone 2” for a June 27, 2025 release date. But that doesn’t necessarily mean director Scott Derrickson or star Ethan Hawke will return for the sequel.
Derrickson’s film adapted Joe Hill‘s 2004 short story of the same name, about a teenage boy abducted by a child killer who receives help from ghosts of the murderer’s previous victims through a disconnected phone that rings. “The Black Phone” was a hit for Blumhouse last summer, earning $160 million worldwide on an $18 million budget. Obviously, Blumhouse would love to replicate those numbers in the sequel, or even expand it to a franchise as it moves on from other IP like “Halloween.”
“The Black Phone” saw Derrickson reunite with both Hawke and C. Robert Cargill after their success together on “Sinister.” Hawke starred in the 2012 film, co-written by Derrickson and Cargill. “Sinister,” about a true crime writer who discovery of supernatural snuff films puts his family in danger, was a massive hit for Blumhouse, making nearly thirty times its $3 million budget. The success also put Derrickson and Cargill on the Hollywood map, leading Marvel top them for 2016’s “Doctor Strange.”
If Derrickson returns for “The Black Phone 2,” it’ll likely be his next project after “The Gorge” for Apple TV+. That project is a departure for the writer/director, a romantic action movie with Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigournie Weaver. Here’s a brief longline for that film, courtesy of IMDb: “Two very dangerous young people who, despite the corrupt and lethal world they operate in, find a soulmate in each other.” Since Derrickson started shooting “The Gorge” in March, expect it on Apple TV+ sometime next year.
As for “The Black Phone 2,” The Cargill-Derrickson formula is a winning one for Blumhouse, so don’t be surprised if they return for the sequel. As for Hawke’s potential return, there would need to be some retcon of the 2022 film’s ending for that. But never say never.
