Black Phone 2 Director on Inspiration Behind Mason Thames & Ethan Hawke Movie

In the build-up to the theatrical release of Black Phone 2, director Scott Derrickson has revealed that the much-awaited sequel was inspired by experiences from his own youth. Derrickson, who helmed the first Doctor Strange movie released in 2016, opened up about his creative approach while constructing a film, shedding light on the personal events that influenced his new film starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames.

Scott Derrickson on how his memories of the ’80s inspired Black Phone 2

While speaking to Filmfare, the horror veteran spoke about how he drew significant inspiration from his high school memories while shaping Black Phone 2.

“I am less interested in drawing from other people’s work than in expanding on what elements from my own work seem unique to me,” Derrickson said of his filmmaking ideology.

Talking specifically about the personal experiences that helped him put together Black Phone 2, the 59-year-old director noted, “In this case, it was the use of Super 8 footage in very specific ways, drawing on my own memories at Colorado high school winter camps in the early ’80s and channelling some of the bigger feelings I had when I was a teenager at that time.”

Set in 1982, four years after the events of the first film, the sequel follows the story of Mason Thames’ Finney Blake, who struggles to lead a normal life after his kidnapping at the hands of Ethan Hawke’s menacing serial killer, the Grabber. However, things take a turn for the worse when his younger sister starts seeing terrifying visions, along with nightmares of a black phone ringing.

Aside from Thames and Hawke reprising their roles from the previous installment, Black Phone 2 also features Madeleine McGraw, Demián Bichir, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora, among others, in pivotal roles. The sequel has already garnered stellar reviews in early screenings and is on track to hit theaters on October 17, 2025.

Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.

Source: Comingsoon.net