“Demands More”: The Black Phone 2 Director Teases 1 Major Difference That Makes The Sequel “More Graphic, Scarier”

The Black Phone 2 director Scott Derrickson teases one major difference to the upcoming sequel that makes it "more graphic, scarier" than the first. The Black Phone ended by bringing its middle school coming-of-age tale full circle, with Finney (Mason Thames) killing The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) with the phone he was using to commune with his previous victims. The upcoming sequel will see the protagonist return under new circumstances, though the exact details of what will happen in the film remain under wraps. But, with major character returns confirmed, many elements will feel familiar.

Speaking with GamesRadar+, Derrickson revealed one key difference in The Black Phone 2 will make the story "more graphic" and "scarier" than the original movie. The director explained how the film's focus as being about high school rather than middle school necessitated a darker, more adult storyline than the first movie. However, he promised this would be illustrated in how the characters are established in the new movie, adding to these important elements. Check out what Derrickson had to say below:

The main difference is that it's a high school coming of age movie, in the same way that the original movie was a middle school coming of age movie, but those are two very different sorts of things. You know, a high school coming-of-age movie demands more. It has to be more visceral. It has to be, I think, more graphic, scarier.
I think that the change that occurs in human beings between middle school and high school, that's some of the biggest change you go through in your life. And so to be able to revisit these characters who've really developed as people in the four years between the movies was also very interesting to me.

The Black Phone is based on a short story by Joe Hill of the same name.

What The Black Phone 2's High School Focus Means For The Movie

Its Focus Will Be Different From The Original Premise

The Black Phone 2's cast will see not only Thames' return as Finney and Hawke's return as The Grabber, but also other characters from the first film, like Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), Terrance (Jeremy Davies), and Robin (Miguel Mora). The exact storyline is currently unknown, especially because the antagonist died in the first movie. This means the sequel will likely be leaning deeper into the first film's supernatural elements, emphasizing its ideas through a familiar lens that allows for new perspectives to be shown.

Derrickson's confirmation of a more terrifying story isn't too surprising, since the film will really need to increase its fear factor to justify continuing the story. Given the major box office success of the first one, earning $161.4 million against a $16-18 million budget,The Black Phone 2 is highly anticipated, justifying why the sequel will have a more terrifying story. It also sounds like it will symbolically deal with high school fears through a horror story, with whatever Finney goes through having a connection to his growing up.

Our Take On The Black Phone 2's "Scarier" Story

A Natural Evolution For The Budding Film Franchise

mason thames as finney in the black phone

It makes sense for The Black Phone 2 to embrace even higher levels of horror than its predecessor, emphasizing an evolution to the budding film series' brand of terror. This will likely come in the form of deeper supernatural elements, which can explain why The Grabber is returning and why Finney will continue to be the core protagonist. Given Derrickson's thoughtful approach, the sequel also sounds like it won't compromise the original's story, instead adding onto it with a thematically appropriate continuation.

The Black Phone 2 arrives in theaters on October 17, 2025.

Source: GamesRadar+