The Grabber seeks vengeance in 'Black Phone 2'

2022 saw the release of The Black Phone to a successfully terrified audience, introducing the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) as a sinister new horror figure in moviegoers' future nightmares.

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For writer-producer-director Scott Derrickson, the success of his film was personally gratifying.

“It was extremely rewarding to see audiences embrace the film the way they did, specifically because so much of it came directly from my own childhood,” Derrickson says. “As an artist, seeing those personal feelings and memories connect with so many people — especially young people — added a sense of purpose to the darker memories of my childhood. It made me feel like it was all somehow meant to be.”

The film’s success also meant another opportunity for creativity, stemming from personal experiences, as Derrickson partners with longtime collaborator, writer-producer C. Robert Cargill.

“With Black Phone 2, we were able to keep building on characters rooted in our own childhoods and what it was like growing up in the ’70s and *80s,” Cargill says.