Oscar®-nominated actor Demian Bichir prior to the 41st Annual Student Academy Awards® on Saturday, June 7, in Hollywood. Credit/Provider
Todd Wawrychuk /©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Preview:
- Demián Bichir has been cast in ‘The Black Phone 2.’
- Scott Derrickson is returning to direct.
- The horror sequel will be in theaters in October 2025.
Given how successful the original ‘The Black Phone’ was back in 2021 (it made $161 worldwide, which might not seem huge, but the budget was a thrifty $18 million), it’s not surprising that Universal and Blumhouse made a deal with co-writer/director Scott Derrickson to scare up another instalment.
Derrickson is in pre-production now on ‘The Black Phone 2’, which will somehow see the return of Ethan Hawke’s terrifying masked child-snatcher The Grabber.
And now, according to Deadline, Demián Bichir has joined the cast for the horror sequel.
Untitled sequel to The Black Phone (2022). Read the Plot
What’s the story of ‘The Black Phone 2’?
(L to R) Vance Hopper (Brady Hepner) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
In case you need a refresher, or don’t know the story of the original, here’s the basic synopsis:
Set in 1978 Colorado, ‘The Black Phone’ is adapted from a short story by Joe Hill and sees the shy 13-year-old Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) abducted by a sadistic killer known as “The Grabber” (Hawke).
Thereafter, Finney is held captive in a soundproof basement, where he discovers a disconnected black rotary phone. Mysteriously, the phone begins to ring, and Finney hears the voices of The Grabber’s previous victims, who offer him advice and clues to escape. Meanwhile, Finney’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), experiences psychic visions that might help locate him.
Zero plot details have been released for the sequel, though we do know that Hawke, Thomas and McGraw will all be back alongside co-stars Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora.
As for what the story could conceivably be? We’ll have to wait and see what Derrickson and regular co-writer C. Robert Cargill have cooked up, but there are different ideas to speculate about –– we could be looking at a narrative partly set in the past, exploring the Grabber’s crimes before he took Finney and was ultimately defeated.
Or perhaps the pair could be looking to go down an even more supernatural route, setting the character up to become more of a Freddy Kruger figure who can haunt the people who stopped him.
Related Article: Ethan Hawke Talks Horror Film ‘The Black Phone’
Who will Demián Bichir play in ‘The Black Phone 2’?
(L to R) Demián Bichir, Oscar®-nominee for Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and Stefanie Sherk arrive for the 84th Annual Academy Awards® from Hollywood, CA February 26, 2012. Credit/Provider: Heather Ikei / ©A.M.P.A.S.Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
Universal and Blumhouse are staying quiet thus far about Bichir’s character.
Bichir most recently worked on Angelina Jolie’s ‘Without Blood,’ an adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s book, in which he stars opposite Salma Hayek.
Other recent credits include ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ Robin Wright’s ‘Land,’ George Clooney’s ‘The Midnight Sky,’ and Warner Bros’ horror movie ‘The Nun.’
When will ‘The Black Phone 2’ be in theaters?
While Universal and Blumhouse originally scheduled the movie for June 2025, it has since shifted to a surely more appropriate slot of October 17th, 2025.
Oscar®-nominated actor Demian Bichir during the 41st Annual Student Academy Awards® on Saturday, June 7, in Hollywood. Credit/Provider: Richard Harbaugh / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.