Shocking ‘Black Phone 2’ Trailer Reveal at CinemaCon with Jason Blum and Madeleine McGraw!

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At the CinemaCon event held in Las Vegas, Universal Pictures shared fresh updates about “The Black Phone 2.”

Although director Scott Derrickson was unable to attend Sin City due to ongoing production, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum stepped in and took on the role (he even donned a Grabber mask during the event), with Madeleine McGraw, one of the franchise’s stars, by his side. They discussed the upcoming horror sequel and unveiled a fresh new trailer for the audience gathered at the Colosseum.

In 2022, the initial movie turned out to be a massive success, earning $161 million at the box office against an investment of only $18 million. The plot revolved around a young boy who got kidnapped and was kept in a basement. During his captivity, he began receiving calls on an apparently dead phone from past victims of a notorious serial killer known as the Grabber, portrayed by Ethan Hawke. The screenplay was penned by Derrickson and his frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill, based on a short story authored by Joe Hill.

In this production, Hawke once again takes on his character, while Mason Thames and McGraw continue their roles, too. Arianna Rivas, Jeremy Davies, Demián Bichir, and Miguel Mora complete the talented ensemble of actors.

As a gamer diving back into a beloved franchise, I can honestly say it’s been an exhilarating ride. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the sequel would live up to expectations, as the creator had always shied away from making sequels due to the immense challenge of recapturing the magic. But when I found out we could explore “uncharted territories” with the characters from The Black Phone, given that Ethan Hawke’s character met his end in the original, I was hooked. It’s going to be fascinating to see where this journey takes us!

Prior to the unveiling of the trailer, McGraw playfully announced that she’s not yet old enough to watch the R-rated movie, and in a delightful twist, she also invited her sister, Violet McGraw, onto the stage to present her own Blumhouse film, M3GAN 2.0.

In the trailer, there were expected eerie scenes where a black phone rang within an isolated telephone booth, standing on a frozen wasteland. Thames’s character responds to the Grabber in a heated conversation after answering the call. The Grabber asks, “Do you believe our tale has ended?”, and the boy retorts, “You are dead.” However, the Grabber counters with, “You should be aware that ‘dead’ is merely a term.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in February, Derrickson revealed that he hadn’t initially considered making a sequel. However, an intriguing concept proposed by Hill piqued his interest, leading him to direct the Apple TV+ film titled The Gorge, starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor Joy. As Derrickson explained to THR, if he had made a large movie like The Gorge first, the child actors from Black Phone (Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw) would have already moved on to high school by the time he finished. Therefore, he would have missed the opportunity to work with them during their high school years. Instead, he could utilize this window of time to create a high school coming-of-age movie in a similar vein as the original film, which was about middle school adolescence.

Speaking as a dedicated gamer, let me share my thoughts about The Black Phone 2. Unlike its predecessor, this version dives into a more intricate universe and concept. I was determined not to rehash the first movie, and I believe the worst horror sequels are those that simply try to amplify the same elements without bringing anything new to the table. That’s true for any genre, honestly. The best sequels are the ones that catch you off guard.

Audiences will find out when Universal releases the film on Oct. 17.

Each spring, cinema owners and Hollywood studios gather at CinemaCon, an event now organized by Cinema United (formerly known as the National Association of Theatre Owners). This year’s event will take place in Las Vegas from March 31st through April 3rd.

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2025-04-03 04:25