News

The Oscars will launch its first wave of digital screeners on Friday, Aug. 15, for its 11,000+ members to consider for the 98th Academy Awards, which will mark the official start of awards season as studios vie for voters’ attention on the members-only streaming platform.

The Academy Screening Room will debut its initial slate of films from distributors that met the July 31 submission deadline. New movies will be uploaded every Friday, until the end of the season across all categories, including best picture and specialty races such as documentary, animated, international feature and the shorts.

Netflix’s animated feature “KPop Demon Hunters” will be among the highest-profile titles launching on the platform. Released in June, the music sensation has become Netflix’s most popular original animated film of all time and ranks fourth on the streaming service’s all-time most popular films list as of Aug. 5.

The movie’s original song “Golden,...

Darren Aronofsky’s crime caper Caught Stealing is set to reach theatres on August 29th, with Francis Lawrence’s intense Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk following on September 12th and Scott Derrickson’s sequel to his Joe Hill adaptation The Black Phone (a sequel simply titled Black Phone 2) dropping on October 17th – and today, we have learned that the Motion Picture Association ratings board has given all three of these movies R ratings!

Directed by Aronofsky from a screenplay by Charlie Huston, who is also the author of the book that the movie is based on, Caught Stealing has the following synopsis: Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) was a high-school baseball phenom who can’t play anymore, but everything else is going okay. He’s got a great girl (Zoë Kravitz), tends bar at a New York dive, and his favorite team is making an underdog run at the pennant.

Back in 2021, Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and director Scott Derrickson brought us an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story The Black Phone (check out our review Here) that appeared to tell a complete story that would stand on its own… but the film was made on a budget of around $16 million and earned over $160 million at the global box office. So, on October 17, 2025, we’ll be getting The Black Phone 2. Filming wrapped in January, and with the release date now just two months away, Collider has unveiled a new image from the film. It features a frosty version of the villain known as The Grabber, and you can check it out at the bottom of this article.

Derrickson wrote the screenplay for the first film with C. Robert Cargill, and Derrickson and Cargill have written the screenplay for The Black Phone 2 as well, with Derrickson returning to the helm.

Since it was announced to be in production back in 2023, Black Phone 2 has kept audiences perplexed surrounding its storyline. It made complete sense why Universal Pictures would want to follow up the 2021 film with a chill-inducing sequel, thanks to the overwhelming positive feedback and the gargantuan financial gain of the first, but the question remained — how will they do it? After all, the ending tied things up into a neat bow, with Finney (Mason Thames) not only escaping from The Grabber’s (Ethan Hawke) basement prison but killing the sadistic madman in the process. But, as we now know, thanks to the first trailer, Finney can’t seem to shake the child killer even in death. As part of Collider’s Exclusive Preview event, we’re excited to share another look at the reunion between victim and villain in a never-before-seen shot of Black Phone 2.

Teasing how the storyline will go down,...

Los Bukis are standing with their immigrant fan base — and using one of their biggest career moments to honor them. On Wednesday, the Marco Antonio Solis-fronted group unveiled their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and used their speech to speak up for the people who “constructed our careers.”

“More than anything, we dedicate this star to all immigrants gathered here [and] in this beautiful country, to all workers who strive every day to work,” Solís said onstage. “I call them the silent force of service in this country. They...

The Grabber is back from beyond the grave, and he’s ready for revenge in Black Phone 2, coming this October from director Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill.

Read the full synopsis below:

As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.

Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.

Watch the official trailer now:

It looks like Derrickson is...

Vin Diesel and Laverne Cox are among those speaking at the 2025 CAA Amplify Summit, the agency announced Monday.

The summit, an annual event, brings together influential leaders from media, entertainment, social justice, sports, technology, nonprofits and other industry sectors.

The lineup of speakers and attendees for Tuesday’s Laguna Beach summit also includes former prime minister of New Zealand Dame Jacinda Ardern, CEO of Microsoft AI Mustafa Suleyman, CNN anchor and senior national correspondent Sara Sidner, ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero, Ford Foundation president Darren Walker, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (Glsen) executive director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers and entrepreneur and philanthropist Byron Allen.

“CAA Amplify is more than a convening,” CAA Foundation executive director Natalie Tran said in a release, adding the summit “is a catalyst for building a fortified network of culture influencing leaders who are shaping the future across industries.”

“This year’s gathering reflects our unwavering commitment...

All The Chilling Details About Black Phone 2 (Photo Credit – YouTube)

The Grabber isn’t done with us just yet. Ethan Hawke returns to terrify again in The Black Phone 2, the much-anticipated sequel to 2022’s breakout horror hit. Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are back for round two, and this time, the creepy vibes go even deeper. The film is officially headed to theaters on October 17, 2025, just in time to dominate the Halloween season (via Hollywood.com).

The first look at The Black Phone 2 was unveiled at CinemaCon, and it already teases a twist. Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) is the one in danger now, while Finney (Mason Thames) steps into the rescuer role. The setting’s icy, the visuals are dreamlike, and the terror is leaning hard into supernatural territory. Think Nightmare on Elm Street energy with a modern pulse.

Black Phone 2 Release Date

After an initial summer slot, The Black Phone 2...

Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again. Check out the new trailer for the forthcoming film Black Phone 2 right here!

Dead is just a word.

Four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.

Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm.

Watch the New Trailer for M3GAN 2.0: "The murderous doll who captivated pop culture in 2023 is back. And this time she’s not alone.

The original creative team behind that phenomenon—led by horror titans James Wan for Atomic Monster, Jason Blum for Blumhouse and director Gerard Johnstone—reboot an all-new wild chapter in A.I. mayhem with M3GAN 2.0.

Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous (and impeccably choreographed) rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of A.I. Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now 14, has become a teenager, rebelling against Gemma’s overprotective rules.

Unbeknownst to them, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia, the ultimate killer infiltration spy.

Blumhouse and Universal Pictures released the first trailer Monday for “The Black Phone 2,” confirming Scott Derrickson’s sequel will reach theaters on Oct. 17, 2025. Ethan Hawke’s Grabber re-emerges in snow-swept footage, drawling, “Did you think our story was over?” as survivor Finney Blake stops at a ringing pay phone.

Derrickson again writes with longtime partner C. Robert Cargill and produces alongside Jason Blum. Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw and Jeremy Davies reprise their roles, while Oscar nominee Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas join the cast linked to Alpine Lake, a winter camp that becomes the new hunting ground. The synopsis points to Gwen Blake’s psychic visions drawing her brother back into danger as the Grabber’s influence expands beyond the grave.

In an exclusive Collider chat, Derrickson said the follow-up “is more violent, it’s bloodier,” signalling a step up from the basement terrors that propelled the original. He told...

Universal has released the first official trailer for Scott Derrickson's Black Phone 2, which will pick up the story four years after the events of the 2021 blockbuster.

As per the synopsis, the film will see The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) make his chilling return, from beyond the grave, to seek out his vengeance against Finn (Mason Thames) and it sounds like things will be getting even more personal this time around as the sinister villain sets his sights on Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

The Black Phone was a major box office success that arrived in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ultimately grossed $161.4 million globally on an estimated $16-18 million production budget, which made greenlighting a sequel a relatively easy decision. It was also a pretty well received original horror film, boasting a healthy 81% Certified Fresh certification on review aggregator RottenTomatoes.

The sequel stars Ethan Hawke (Training Day; Before Sunrise...

Universal Pictures has revealed the official trailer and poster for the highly anticipated sequel Black Phone 2, which is set to open in theaters on October 17.

Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again.

Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.

Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to...

Ethan Hawkeis back as one of modern horror's most iconic serial killers in the first trailer forBlack Phone 2, Scott Derrickson's follow-up to hishorrorhit of 2021. Universal Pictures has just unveiled the first look at the highly-awaited sequel, which will see Hawke reprising his role as The Grabber, alongside fellow returning cast members (and victims) Mason Thames as Finn and Madeleine McGraw as Gwen. You can checl out the newly released trailer below.

But how exactly will Hawke give life to The Grabber again, when the ruthless and violent killer was beaten in the first movie? Derrickson offered the perfect and most logical answer when talking to The Hollywood Reporter recently. Speaking after he showed the first Black Phone 2 trailer at the pop culture convention Ccxp Mexico, leaving attendees were scared out of their minds, the director said:

"The first movie was a ghost movie but all the ghosts were victims,...

Derrickson promete una segunda entrega más aterradora y gráfica. © Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures ha compartido el primer tráiler y póster de Black Phone 2, la segunda entrega del thriller de Blumhouse de 2021, que está dirigido nuevamente por Scott Derrickson.

En Black Phone 2, han pasado cuatro años desde que Finn (Mason Thames), entonces un niño de 13 años, matara al hombre que le había secuestrado, convirtiéndose en el único superviviente de El Raptor (Ethan Hawke). Pero el mal trasciende la muerte… y el teléfono suena de nuevo. El Raptor quiere vengarse desde la tumba de Finn, que ya ha cumplido 17 años, y escoge como objetivo a Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), su hermana pequeña, una adolescente de 15 años con mucho carácter, que empieza a recibir llamadas de un teléfono negro en sueños, acompañadas de inquietantes visiones de algo o alguien acechando a tres chicos en el campamento de invierno de Alpine Lake. Decidida...

Universal and Blumhouse have released the first trailer for Black Phone 2, confirming the horror sequel will open in cinemas on 17 October. Returning writer-director Scott Derrickson reunites with co-writer C. Robert Cargill for the follow-up to their 2022 breakout hit, which grossed over $160 million worldwide and became one of Blumhouse’s most profitable titles of the decade. This time, the terror extends beyond the grave, with Ethan Hawke reprising his chilling role as The Grabber.

Set four years after the events of the original, Black Phone 2 finds Finn (Mason Thames), now 17, struggling with life after his traumatic escape from the sadistic abductor. While he tries to move forward, his younger sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) becomes the target of a new wave of horrors, as the mysterious black phone begins to ring again, this time, in her dreams.

As Gwen receives disturbing visions involving a trio of boys being hunted at...

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures Four years ago, Finn escaped the terrifying clutches of The Grabber, becoming the sole survivor of a nightmare. But some evil just won’t stay buried… and the phone is ringing once more! Universal Pictures and Blumhouse are bringing back the chilling phenomenon with Black Phone 2, and it’s set to haunt theaters on October 17th. Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to his most sinister role as The Grabber, now seeking vengeance from beyond the grave. His new target? Finn’s (Mason Thames) younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). As Finn, now 17, grapples with the trauma of his past, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen starts receiving disturbing calls from the black phone in her dreams, showing her visions of boys being stalked at a remote winter camp called Alpine Lake. Driven to solve the mystery and end the torment, Gwen convinces Finn to join her...

Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames reprise their roles from the 2022 horror hit The Black Phone, in Black Phone 2. The trailer shows The Grabber is back seeking vengeance, even though Finn is sure he died. “You, of all people, should know that dead is just a word,” says the masked killer.

In addition to Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, the sequel’s cast includes Oscar nominee Demián Bichir (The Nun), Arianna Rivas (A Working Man), Miguel Mora (The Black Phone), and Jeremy Davies. Maev Beaty (Beau is Afraid) and Graham Abbey (Under the Banner of Heaven) also star.

Mason Thames and Ethan Hawke in ‘Black Phone 2’ (Photo © 2025 Universal Studios)

“Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen. As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity,...

Netflix isn’t the only studio dropping surprise content on fans this weekend. On Sunday evening during the Ccxp Festival in Mexico City, Blumhouse revealed a chilling trailer and poster for The Black Phone 2, the sequel to Scott Derrickson’s 2021 horror film starring Ethan Hawke as The Grabber, a child serial killer with a mysterious phone in the basement of the prison where he keeps his victims.

Based on a short story by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is centered on Finney Shaw, a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on ensuring that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

The...

Blumhouse is throwing a horror quinceanera for the ages today at Ccxp Mexico, one of the world’s largest pop culture festivals celebrating movies, TV series, games, comics and more. Founder and CEO Jason Blum takes the stage in Mexico City to mark the company’s 15th anniversary and unveil a slate of updates, exclusive footage and surprise reveals.

First in their reveals is the trailer for Black Phone 2.

Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again.

Four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

As Finn, now 17, struggles with life after his captivity, the headstrong 15-year-old Gwen begins receiving calls...

Death is never the end in the world of The Black Phone, and that means Ethan Hawke’s villain The Grabber isn’t done just yet. He’s back and he’s seeking bloody vengeance in director Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2, and you can watch the icy cold official trailer below.

“Did you think our story was over? You of all people know that dead is just a word,” The Grabber tells Finney Blake (Mason Thames) in the trailer. “Vengeance… is… mine.”

Black Phone 2 opens in theaters on October 17 from Blumhouse and Universal.

Here’s the official synopsis…

“Four years ago, 13-year-old Finn killed his abductor and escaped, becoming the sole survivor of The Grabber. But true evil transcends death … and the phone is ringing again.

“Four-time Academy Award® nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on...

Blumhouse has revealed the first poster and trailer for its highly-anticipated sequel to its hit horror thriller The Black Phone. The news was revealed Sunday at the Ccxp Festival in Mexico City. Scott Derrickson returns to direct Black Phone 2, the sequel to the supernatural horror film that grossed $161M globally. Four-time Academy Award nominee Ethan Hawke returns to the most sinister role of his career as The Grabber seeks vengeance on Finn (Mason Thames) from beyond the grave by menacing Finn’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw).

The cast includes Oscar nominee Demián Bichir as the supervisor of the camp, Arianna Rivas as his niece, Miguel Mora as the brother of one of The Grabber’s victims, and Jeremy Davies, returning as Finn and Gwen’s father, Terrence.

Black Phone 2 Poster Courtesy of Blumhouse

Other new cast members include Maev Beaty and Graham Abbey. The pic is written...

The first footage of BlackPhone 2 has arrived. From the director of Black Phone, the upcoming sequel, directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson, sees Ethan Hawke reprising his role as The Grabber. He is joined by Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, Miguel Mora, Demián Bichir, and more. Though exact story details are under wraps, the movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on October 16.

Now, Fandango has shared the first footage of Black Phone 2 on their X account, which includes three teasers. The footage teases the return of the black phone, murder details, and a key location in the upcoming movie. Check out the post below:

“The phone is ringing again. Are you going to answer?â€We just got a text that included the first tease for Black Phone 2! Only in theaters this October. pic.twitter.com/ckfgKx9nUT— Fandango (@Fandango) May 31, 2025“This place.

5 Best Upcoming Horror Movies In 2025 ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

If you thought 2024 delivered horror chills, wait until you see what 2025 has in store. Whether you’re into slow-burn psychological horror, creature features, or straight-up slashers, 2025 has you covered. With long-awaited sequels and reboots heading to screens, it’s a good time for a horror fan to create their watchlist. Here are five upcoming horror movies you’ll want to keep on your radar this year.

1) Final Destination: Bloodlines

Directed by Zach Lipovsky & Adam Stein, Final Destination: Bloodlines is slated to release on May 16, 2025. The film stars renowned faces such as Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Richard Harmon, Tony Todd, and many more. The franchise that scared us of escalators, tanning beds, and roller coasters is back after 14 years. Final Destination: Bloodlines marks the sixth installment in the iconic series, and it’s doing more than just revisiting old ground. Directed...

Samuel L. Jackson is back in the Western saddle a decade after starring in Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight.” This time, Jackson is joined by fellow cinema icon Pierce Brosnan for revenge thriller “The Unholy Trinity.” The duo play two different kinds of lawmen in the Western, directed by Richard Gray.

“The Unholy Trinity” is billed as a “tale of revenge, dark secrets, and buried treasures,” with the drama being set in 1870s Montana. The film begins moments before the execution of Isaac Broadway (Tim Daly), “as he gives his estranged son, Henry (Brandon Lessard), an impossible task: Murder the man who framed him for a crime he didn’t commit. Intent on fulfilling his promise, Henry travels to the remote town of Trinity, where an unexpected turn of events traps him in town and leaves him caught between Gabriel Dove (Brosnan), the town’s upstanding new sheriff, and...

Exclusive: Michael Patrick Thornton, last on the New York stage opposite Jessica Chastain in 2023’s A Doll’s House, will return to Broadway in this fall’s much anticipated staging of Waiting For Godot starring Keanu Reeves, in his Broadway debut, and Alex Winter.

Thornton will play Lucky to Reeves’ Estragon and Winter’s Vladimir. Thornton’s casting reunites him with director Jamie Lloyd, who directed A Doll’s House. The actor played Dr. Rank in that Tony-nominated production.

Waiting For Godot will play Broadway’s Hudson Theatre with preview performances beginning Saturday, September 13, ahead of a Sunday, September 28 opening night. The strictly limited engagement will play through Sunday, January 4, 2026 only.

Complete casting and design team for Waiting For Godot will be announced soon.

Thornton is an actor, improviser, writer, director, and co-founder of Chicago’s acclaimed The Gift Theatre. Currently, he stars in Obliteration, written by frequent collaborator Andrew Hinderaker and featuring Cyd Blakewell,...

Anna Lore has joined ‘The Black Phone 2’.The 32-year-old actress will appear in director Scott Derrickson’s upcoming horror flick for Universal Pictures - which is a sequel to the filmmaker's 2021 movie ‘The Black Phone’ - alongside Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora.As well as the ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ star, ‘The Black Phone 2’ will also welcome newcomers Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas.No details about the character Lore will be portraying in ‘The Black Phone 2’ are known yet.‘The Black Phone 2’ - which is slated to land in cinemas in October 2025 - has been co-written by Derrickson and Robert Cargill, who are also producing alongside Blumhouse Productions’ Jason Blum.In ‘The Black Phone’, 13-year-old Finney Shaw (Thames) is abducted by a sadistic killer known as The Grabber (Hawke) and held captive in a soundproof basement, where he discovers a disconnected black phone that...

The Black Phone sequel has cast an actress familiar with the horror universe.

Anna Lore will have a role in Black Phone 2, Deadline has confirmed.

Produced by Blumhouse, Black Phone 2 will see the return of cast members Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora. Meanwhile, Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas will also join the cast.

Keep reading to find out more…

While the plot of Black Phone 2 is not yet known, the first movie tells the story of an kidnapped boy who receives phone calls from previous victims in his abductor’s basement.

As for Anna, she has previously had roles in Blumhouse’s They/Them and Into The Dark: My Valentine. She has also appeared in shows such as Gotham Knights, All American, and Doom Patrol. Recently, she plays the role of Julia Campbell in the upcoming New Line film Final Destination: Bloodlines,...

Anna Lore has answered the call for The Black Phone 2, Deadline has learned.

The actress will next be seen in Final Destination: Bloodlines. Her credits also include “Doom Patrol,” “Gotham Knights,” and They/Them.

Ethan Hawke is back as The Grabber alongside Madeleine McGraw, Mason Thames, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora, joined by Demián Bichir (The Nun) and Arianna Rivas (Prom Dates).

Scott Derrickson returns to direct from a script he co-wrote with C. Robert Cargill. Joe Hill, author of the short story on which the 2021 film was based, executive produces.

Derrickson previously described the sequel to Bloody Disgusting as “a high school coming-of-age movie in the same way that the first one was a middle school coming-of-age movie.”

Reports out of CinemaCon suggest that “The Grabber goes full Freddy Krueger and is seeking revenge on the kids from the first movie from beyond the grave.”

Produced by Blumhouse, the horror...

For Scott Derrickson’s The Black Phone 2, Anna Lore will move from the crime-infested streets of Gotham City to the suburbs of Denver, Colorado. Lore, who played Stephanie Brown on The CW’s Gotham Knights series, joins returning cast members Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora, as well as new additions Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas.

Based on a short story by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is centered on Finney Shaw (Mason Thames), a shy but clever 13-year-old boy who is abducted by a sadistic killer (Ethan Hawke) and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on ensuring that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney.

Anna Lore plays...

Exclusive: We’ve come to learn that Anna Lore is starring in Scott Derrickson’s Black Phone 2, which will hit theaters on October 17 via Universal.

Lore joins returning cast members Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora, as well as new additions Demián Bichir and Arianna Rivas

Blumhouse’s sequel to the $161 million-plus grossing global hit was written by Robert Cargill and Derrickson, who are also producing with Blumhouse’s Jason Blum. Joe Hill is an EP. Universal and Blumhouse are producing with Crooked Highway Production.

In the original movie, a boy, after being abducted and locked in a basement, starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer’s previous victims. That killer is played by Blumhouse vet Hawke. Black Phone was a surprise counterprogramming hit in the summer of 2021 when moviegoers were making their way to back to cinemas after Covid.

Lore...

These days, actress Robin Wright is likely best known for her six seasons as Claire Underwood on “House of Cards.” Her character’s trajectory on Netflix’s often-rancid take on underhanded politics saw her ending up becoming the 47th President of the United States after co-star Kevin Spacey was forced to leave the show due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Wright collected six Emmy nominations as Best Drama Actresss and two for being an executive producer on the show. Wright also earned directorial stripes while calling the shots behind the camera for 10 episodes as well.

That experience led her to make her directorial film debut with “Land,” in which she played Edee, a woman filled with suicidal thoughts after suffering a tragic personal loss. She decides to go off the grid while moving into a grungy cabin in amongst the scenic mountains of Wyoming. Her attempts to chop wood, hunt...

Blumhouse is bringing some highly anticipated horror sequels our way this year. The first of the bunch is M3GAN 2.0, which is set to reach theatres on June 27th. The Black Phone 2 follows on October 17th, then Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will help wrap up 2025 with its December 5th release. The Universal panel was held at the CinemaCon event today, and during the panel, Blumhouse was given the chance to promote all three of these upcoming sequels.

The video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s quickly became Blumhouse Productions’ highest-grossing movie when it reached theatres and the Peacock streaming service back in 2023. The first film’s director, Emma Tammi, is back at the helm for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, working from a screenplay she wrote with Seth Cuddeback and video game creator Scott Cawthon. Josh Hutcherson returns for the sequel to play former security guard Mike Schmidt,...

We're still six months away from the release of Scott Derrickson's Black Phone 2, but for those wondering how Ethan Hawke's The Grabber will fit into things, the wait is finally over. Fans will recall that the villainous child killer met his demise at the hands of Finney (Mason Thames) at the end of the first movie, so when the horror sequel was announced, it left many to question which direction the franchise would take. It appears as if it's taking at least some of its cues from another iconic series: A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Though the first footage for Black Phone 2 was shown behind closed doors and has yet to make its way online, Discussing Film was on hand at CinemaCon to provide fans with a description, noting that it began with a haunting rendition of Alice in Chains' "The Rooster." Finney is now living a gloomy existence,...

Universal Pictures dialed up new details on The Black Phone 2 from the CinemaCon stage in Las Vegas.

While filmmaker Scott Derrickson couldn’t make it to Sin City as he’s still in production, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum had the honors (he even wore a Grabber mask for the occasion) and was joined by one of the franchise’s stars Madeleine McGraw. Together, they talked about the horror sequel before revealing a brand new trailer for the Colosseum crowd.

The first film became a surprise hit after its 2022 release when it grossed $161 million against an $18 million budget. It followed the events of what happens when a young boy is abducted and locked in a basement. While there, he starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the previous victims of a serial killer called the Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke. Derrickson wrote the script with longtime writing partner C. Robert Cargill...

The horror faithful got a jolt of excitement at CinemaCon 2025 when Universal Pictures and Blumhouse unveiled the official logo for The Black Phone 2, spotted on the bustling convention floor at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on March 29, 2025. This chilling reveal, a stark design echoing the rotary menace of its predecessor, signals the return of Scott Derrickson’s supernatural terror tale, slated to hit theaters on October 17, 2025.

The Grabber from The Black Phone/ Credits: Universal Pictures

With its retro font and shadowy phone silhouette drenched in ominous red and black hues, the logo isn’t just a teaser; it’s a promise of more sleepless nights. Following the 2021 original’s runaway success, this CinemaCon drop has fans buzzing about what’s next for the Grabber, who was killed by Finney with the phone cord, ending his reign of terror.

The Black Phone 2: Ethan Hawke reprises his serial killer...

Legendary’s Godzilla vs. Kong has received a brand-new streaming update, after four years since making its theatrical release. The fourth MonsterVerse movie was led by Rebecca Hall as Dr. Ilene Andrews and Millie Bobby Brown as Madison Russell, who are both connected to the secret government organization Monarch.

Starting on April 1, Godzilla vs. Kong will officially be available to stream for free on Tubi. The sci-fi action sequel finally brings together the MonsterVerse franchise’ mightiest and most popular Titans, after starring in their respective solo movies with 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island. The official synopsis for the 2021 movie reads, “Legends collide as Godzilla and Kong, the two most powerful forces of nature, clash in a spectacular battle for the ages. As Monarch embarks on a perilous mission into fantastic uncharted terrain, unearthing clues to the Titans’ very origins, a human conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad,...

Exclusive: Franka Potente has joined the cast of AMC’s Dark Winds in a key guest role for Season 4. Details regarding her character are under wraps.

The series was renewed for a fourth season ahead of the show’s third season premiere. New episodes are currently airing Sunday nights at 9 p.m.

Set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley, Dark Winds follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn of the Tribal Police (Zahn McClarnon) as he is besieged by a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. The closer he digs to the truth, the more he exposes the wounds of his past. He is joined on this journey by his new deputy, Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon). Chee also has old scores to settle from his youth on the reservation. Together, the two men battle the forces of evil, each other and their own...

Sisters Violet and Madeleine McGraw are escaping horror for their next joint project. Violet and Madeleine, best known for their work on genre films like M3GAN and The Black Phone, respectively, will collaborate on a holiday feature described as a mix of two legendary Christmas movies: Home Alone and Die Hard. Variety reports that the yet-to-be-named movie will begin filming in Las Vegas next month.

Madeleine, the older of the sisters, began her career with early roles in films like American Sniper before working on the series Outcast and voicing Bonnie in Toy Story 4. Her breakout performance as Gwen Blake in The Black Phone earned her critical acclaim. Madeleine's other credits include the Disney Channel's Secrets of Sulphur Springs and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Violet gained early recognition for portraying young Nell Crain in Netflix's critically acclaimed The Haunting of Hill House. She later appeared in Doctor Sleep and Black Widow,...

Back in 2021, Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and director Scott Derrickson brought us an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story The Black Phone (check out our review Here) that appeared to tell a complete story that would stand on its own… but the film was made on a budget of around $16 million and earned over $160 million at the global box office. So, on October 17, 2025, we’ll be getting The Black Phone 2. Filming wrapped in January, and during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Derrickson (whose new film The Gorge was released through Apple TV+ today) said that he’s aiming to surprise viewers with the Black Phone sequel, which is “more complicated” than its predecessor.

Derrickson wrote the screenplay for the first film with C. Robert Cargill, and Derrickson and Cargill have written the screenplay for The Black Phone 2 as well, with Derrickson returning to the helm. He...

In my recent interview with Scott Derrickson about his upcoming film The Gorge, the filmmaker teased The Black Phone 2, which wrapped production last month in Toronto.

It was Joe Hill, author of the short story on which The Black Phone is based, who pitched the concept that made Derrickson want to return for a sequel.

“I didn’t feel obliged to make a sequel to that movie. Joe Hill came up with an idea that sparked my interest,” Derrickson tells Bloody Disgusting.

“I realized that if I made a big movie after Black Phone — which is The Gorge — by the time I finished it, all those kids would be in high school. So what I really wanted to do, and what I did, was I shot a high school coming-of-age movie in the same way that the first one was a middle school coming-of-age movie.”

Ethan Hawke will return...

The Black Phone 2 director Scott Derrickson has shared a new update about the upcoming sequel to Blumhouse Productions’ 2021 supernatural horror movie. The first installment was based on the 2005 short story by Joe Hill.

During a recent interview with Screen Rant, Derrickson confirmed that production on The Black Phone 2 has already been completed, while teasing the surprises they have in store for fans of the first movie. "A lot of surprises, for sure. I just finished shooting Black Phone 2, and what I can tell you is that I didn't feel obliged to make a sequel," he said. This comes ahead of the upcoming Feb. 14 release of the filmmaker’s newest high-profile action thriller titled, The Gorge, which will see Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller guarding the gateway to hell.

RelatedThe Black Phone's Biggest Plot Holes & Unanswered Questions

Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone had a bunch of plot...

Scott Derrickson, the director of the 2021 horror filmThe Black Phone, is currently in post-production of the upcoming sequel, which has a release date of October 17, 2025. Not much is known about the movie at present, but Derrickson has now shared some plot details that solve one of the important mysteries of The Black Phone 2: When exactly does the horror outing take place?

Derrickson spoke to Screen Rant recently and, according to the director, he won't avoid the fact that time has passed since the first movie, or the fact that the young cast have grown. The Black Phone focuses on 13-year-old Finney Blake as he's abducted by the Grabber, a serial killer with a twisted affinity for masks. Considering The Black Phone 2 is focusing on some of the same characters, the age difference may have been a challenge, but Derrickson has a plan...

"A lot of surprises, for sure.

Back in 2021, Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and director Scott Derrickson brought us an adaptation of the Joe Hill short story The Black Phone (check out our review Here) that appeared to tell a complete story that would stand on its own… but the film was made on a budget of around $16 million and earned over $160 million at the global box office. So, on October 17, 2025, we’ll be getting The Black Phone 2. Back on November 4th, Derrickson took to social media to let us know, “Black Phone 2 began shooting today.” Now, Derrickson has provided an update: filming has wrapped!

Last week, Derrickson wrote on Bluesky, “Black Phone 2 is wrapped. Couldn’t be more excited about what we’ve shot.”

Derrickson wrote the screenplay for the first film with C. Robert Cargill, and Derrickson and Cargill have written the screenplay for The Black Phone 2 as well, with Derrickson returning to the helm.

When Salma Hayek Struggled To Showcase Her Versatility In Hollywood (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Salma Hayek is a Mexican-American actress who has often opened up about being a victim of typecast in Hollywood because of her ethnicity. She once revealed how people refused to go to comedy movies with her because she was too sexy. She is one of the most versatile and influential actresses in the industry. Scroll below for more.

She started her journey with Mexican telenovelas and then transitioned to Hollywood. Salma gained recognition with Desperado, Wild Wild West, and Frida. She received her first nomination with Frida, and although she appeared in action movies, her true commercial success with comedies included movies like Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and more. Hayek has won two Primetime Emmy Award nominations – one for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and the other for Outstanding Comedy Series...

The Black Phone is a 2021 horror film directed by Scott Derrickson, based on a short story by Joe Hill. It stars Mason Thames as Finney, a boy kidnapped by a serial killer known as The Grabber (played by Ethan Hawke).

While trapped, Finney uses a mysterious black phone to communicate with the ghosts of The Grabber’s previous victims, who help him plan his escape. The film also features Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and James Ransone.

In October 2023, it was announced that ‘The Black Phone’ would have a sequel, originally planned for June 2025, but it has now been moved to October 2025. Director and co-writer Scott Derrickson will return to write the sequel with C. Robert Cargill, and both will also produce the film with Jason Blum.

JustJared recently shared which cast members we can expect to return to the movie, and which new additions will be joining the production in so far undisclosed roles.

2024 guaranteed the promising future of successful franchises such as Deadpool and Planet of the Apes but also might have sealed the fate of other franchises, such as in the case of Madame Web's box office flop and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga's disappointing opening weekend. While some may complain there are too many sequels and reboots in theaters, the reality is that film franchises will exist as long as they’re successful.

Movie studios produce entertainment, but ultimately, their goal is to make money. If a film is financially prosperous, chances are a second and third will succeed, too. If audiences embrace certain movies and characters, giving them more of what they want makes sense. This approach has undoubtedly resulted in some dreadful sequels but has also birthed some excellent and beloved film series. After all, the highest-grossing franchises of all time didn’t get to the top by being mediocre.

Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley's dystopian sci-fi film Chaos Walking will soon be streaming for free. The film will be available on Tubi beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

Chaos Walking was released in 2021 and was based on Patrick Ness's science fiction trilogy of the same name. The film adapted the series' first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go. Tom Holland starred as Todd Hewitt, a young man who lives in a world with no women where all creatures can hear each other's thoughts through a series of images, words and sounds called "noise". When Viola Eade (played by Daisy Ridley) crash lands on the all-male planet, Todd protects her from danger. Chaos Walking was an infamous box office flop for Lionsgate, making only $27.1 million despite the film's $100+ million budget.

Related January 1 Will Be an Amazing Day for Predator Fans

Predator fans can look forward to the new year.

Critics largely panned the movie,...

The Star Wars sequel trilogy may not have ended on the highest note it could have, but that didn't stop the actors involved from having successful careers. In fact, despite the mixed audience reception to The Last Jedi and the critical failings of The Rise of Skywalker, actors such as Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and John Boyega would go on to star in more exciting films.

The star of the trilogy, Daisy Ridley, would also star in several films, both large and small. Ridley returned to her franchise roots by starring in Chaos Walking, an adaption of the YA Novel of the same name directed by Doug Liman. Starring opposite Tom Holland, Ridley faced plenty of difficulties during the production of the film, which saw numerous delays and eventually replaced Liman with Alien: Romulus Director Fede Alvarez. Speaking to Empire Magazine, Ridley was candid about her difficulties filming Chaos Walking,...

Sandra Bullock played FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn alongside Melissa McCarthy’s Boston Detective Shannon Mullins in the 2013 buddy-cop film The Heat. Agent Ashburn and Detective Mullins reluctantly partner together to take down a drug lord in this Paul Feig film. The chemistry between the film’s lead pair proved crucial in its commercial success in theaters.

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy in a still from The Heat | Credits: 20th Century Fox

Despite its label as a female comedy, Bullock believed that director Feig didn’t create “women’s stories” with his films. Besides Bullock and McCarthy, the film also featured Demián Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, and Jane Curtin in the cast.

Why does Sandra Bullock not consider The Heat to be a female comedy? Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in The Heat | Credits: 20th Century Fox

Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy‘s on-screen chemistry in The Heat was...