The phone is ringing again. Four years after Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone became one of 2022’s most celebrated horror hits, its sequel has arrived — and audiences showed up. The Universal and Blumhouse release topped the box office with $26.5 million domestic from 3,411 theaters, plus $15.5 million internationally for a $42 million global debut, beating the original’s $23.6 million opening. But does this continuation justify itself? More than most sequels do.
The Verdict
Black Phone 2 is a worthy, genuinely chilling follow-up that trades the first film’s grounded serial-killer dread for a bolder, frostbitten supernatural nightmare. Ethan Hawke remains magnetic, Mason Thames deepens his performance as Finney, and Madeleine McGraw becomes the story’s emotional center. It occasionally strains to justify its mythology, but Derrickson’s atmosphere and the cast’s commitment make this one of the season’s strongest horror outings.
Quick Facts
| Title | Black Phone 2 |
| Director | Scott Derrickson |
| Writers | Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill |
| Cast | Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Demián Bichir, Jeremy Davies |
| Release date | October 17, 2026 |
| Runtime | 1 hr 54 min |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Opening weekend | $26.5M domestic / $42M global |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 74% critics (Certified Fresh), 85% audience |
| CinemaScore | B |
| Our verdict | A colder, supernatural sequel that earns its scares |
The Story: The Grabber Is Dead — But the Phone Rings Again
Four years after Finney Blake (Mason Thames) killed his abductor and escaped, the trauma hasn’t left him. Now 17, Finney is struggling to live a normal life. His headstrong sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), 15, has begun receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone itself — accompanied by visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.
Determined to end the torment for both of them, Gwen persuades Finney to travel to the snowbound camp during a winter storm. There she uncovers a shattering connection between the Grabber and her own family’s history. The premise is audacious: true evil transcends death, and the killer has grown more powerful than either sibling imagined.
What Works: Atmosphere, Hawke, and a Gutsier Gwen
Derrickson leans hard into the cold. The Alpine Lake setting — a remote camp swallowed by a snowstorm — gives the sequel a visual identity entirely its own, and the dream sequences are genuinely haunting, shot with a grainy texture that recalls classic 1970s and 80s horror. The phone’s ring still cuts through a theater like a knife.
Hawke, doing some of his finest work behind the Grabber’s mask, plays the killer with gleeful malice even in death. It’s a physical performance — all body language and menace — and he remains one of horror’s most memorable modern villains.
The smartest move is shifting the spotlight to Gwen. McGraw, already a scene-stealer in the first film, gets the richest material: a teenager carrying her mother’s psychic gift, burdened by visions she can’t control, refusing to be a victim. Her bond with Finney is the film’s emotional spine.
What Doesn’t: The Mythology Strains at the Seams
The sequel’s reach occasionally exceeds its grasp. The dream-realm lore — how the black phone works now, what the Grabber has become — is sketched in bold strokes but rarely filled in with satisfying detail. The middle act spins its wheels before the finale snaps everything into focus. The reception reflects that: a respectable 74% on Rotten Tomatoes (Certified Fresh) with an 85% audience score, but a B CinemaScore — good rather than great, a notch below the original’s B+.
Box Office: A Much-Needed Win for Blumhouse
Context matters. After high-profile misses like M3GAN 2.0 and Wolf Man, Black Phone 2 — made for a reported $30 million — is exactly the disciplined mid-budget horror Blumhouse was built on. Its $26.5 million domestic opening more than doubled any Blumhouse opening since the start of 2024, and with Halloween approaching and no major horror competition on the calendar, a $100 million-plus worldwide finish looks well within reach.
Final Thoughts
Black Phone 2 doesn’t repeat the original’s formula — it gambles on a bigger, weirder swing, and it mostly connects. Horror fans who embraced the first film’s supernatural streak will find plenty to love, and Ethan Hawke’s return alone justifies the ticket. It may not be the phenomenon the original was, but it’s the rare sequel that respects its audience’s intelligence while still delivering the scares.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Black Phone 2 a sequel to The Black Phone?
Yes. It’s a direct sequel to the 2022 film, with Derrickson returning to direct and Hawke, Thames, and McGraw reprising their roles.
Does Ethan Hawke return as the Grabber?
He does — as a vengeful presence operating from beyond the grave.
What is Black Phone 2 about?
Finney, now 17, and his sister Gwen, 15, confront the Grabber’s legacy after Gwen receives dream-calls from the black phone, leading them to a winter camp called Alpine Lake.
How is Black Phone 2 doing at the box office?
It opened with $26.5 million domestically (3,411 theaters) and $42 million globally against a $30 million budget, topping the original’s debut.
What is the Rotten Tomatoes score for Black Phone 2?
74% with critics (Certified Fresh) and 85% with audiences, plus a B CinemaScore.