2022 was a great year for horror fans. New standalone movies and new installments of big franchises flooded the big and small screen during that year. The master of horror, Stephen King, appears to have new adaptations of his work coming out every year. The year saw the movie adaptation of Firestarter — that didn’t impress audiences as much as it was hoped. Also in 2022, his son, Joe Hill, had one short story adapted by Blumhouse Productions, The Black Phone.

The Black Phone tells the story of a young boy, Finney (Mason Thames), who is kidnapped by a child murderer called The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and must find a way to save his own life. The Black Phone premiered June 24, 2022, and there were immediate statements from Ethan Hawke, the lead actor in the movie, and the director, Scott Derrickson, about their willingness to return to this story. The duo has worked together before in another horror movie, Sinister. The Black Phone received a Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been the source of much love from horror and cinema fans alike.

Update November 2, 2023: This article has been updated following the official announcement and release date of The Black Phone 2.

On October 27, 2023, it was announced that a sequel to The Black Phone was in the works and is set to be released on June 27, 2025. The plan is described as with the intent to “launch a sinister new franchise.” While any story continuation is likely to delight movie fans, many were probably hoping for a prequel rather than a sequel. Here is why a film set before The Black Phone is a better idea than one set after.

Horror Movies: Prequels and Sequels
Paramount Pictures

Horror movies have been getting prequels and sequels for a very long time. Some sequels work well, such as some of The Nightmare on Elm Street movies. And some didn’t work so well, like Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan. It heavily depends on the filmmakers’ new take on an already-known horror figure or story.

Related: Why The Black Phone Is One of the Most Compelling Modern Horror Movies

One of the main elements that make prequels so interesting is exploring fully developed characters that are already loved. Seeing their origin story enhances their journey in the already beloved movie without the risk of creating an unnecessary narrative that doesn’t make sense for the character. There is a curiosity that these types of horror characters awake in the viewer that figuring out how they became who they are is more interesting than watching them go on another killing spree.

The Grabber in The Black Phone
Universal Pictures

There is not much about The Grabber’s past in the movie. There are some hints of why he does what he does, but nothing gets close to being explained. The Grabber has some childish behavior, such as playing games with his victims with names like ‘Naughty Boy’ which indicates some severe trauma. Also, Hawke himself has said that for someone to wear a mask, they must want to hide from the world. The mask The Grabber wears goes even beyond the need to hide; he uses it also as a tool to express how he is feeling, thanks to the excellent design from Tom Savini, who has worked on films such as Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow, and Friday the 13th.

At one point in the movie, one of the ghosts says that The Grabber can also hear the phone, which is something mentioned by the serial killer himself. The blend between supernatural and natural horror is one of the movie’s highlights and could be extremely explored in a prequel. Questions like: Did he always hear ghosts, or only of the boys he kills? When did he first hear the telephone ring? How did he get involved in (dark, gothic) clowning, and how did he develop those masks? These questions could not only be answered but enhance who this character is and how this particular world works.

Related: The Black Phone: How the Film Conveys Horror Through Trauma

The only relationship he has in the movie is with his brother, who he hides his true self from. His family life seems like an important aspect of the character, and even in real-life serial killers, problems start in dysfunctional families and violent environments while growing up.

Finally, one fundamental factor in the movie’s narrative is how he chooses kids. The ones prior to Mason Thames’ character seem to be tough kids that liked to physically fight others or were athletic, so why did The Grabber change his MO? Why little boys in the first place? And most importantly, when did he start doing this? Needless to say, there are a lot of elements of this character that could be fully explored in a prequel movie.

Ethan Hawke Can Return in The Black Phone
Universal Pictures

Ethan Hawke’s performance is incredible, and the actor has said that he was down for making a sequel, but that would be tricky considering how his character storyline ended in the movie. However, the idea of a Black Phone sequel without Hawke is not incredibly exciting. Hawke’s portrayal was one of the highlights of the film, from the way he moved to how he was able to convey emotion by hiding his face completely. As such, Hawke’s return as the infamous serial killer should occupy the most screen time possible.

A prequel can focus more on The Grabber, giving the actor more room to play, confirming that this is the best option moving forward in The Black Phone universe. The main kids’ parents could actually be a small part of the narrative or even a major one. The prequel could be a chance to explore the psychic abilities of Gwen’s mother and her relationship with their father before he was a broken alcoholic. A prequel would be a great idea, not just to answer questions left by The Black Phone but also to expand on this character that will definitely become a part of the canon of modern memorable horror villains.

Why the Filmmakers Would Choose a Sequel Over a Prequel
Universal Pictures

While a prequel to The Black Phone does sound good on paper, it is tricky for horror properties. While origin stories for iconic pop figures like Batman in Batman Begins or James Bond in Casino Royale worked out well, horror prequels tend to disappoint audiences and have a large stigma to them. From the various Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequels to Rob Zombie’s Halloween remake, horror prequels tend to remove what makes a villain scary by revealing too much. The mystery and unknown aspect make them scary, and it appears that might be behind the filmmakers intent with The Black Phone, to keep the Grabber a mystery.

When Blumhouse announced that another film was coming in a few years, it begged the question of how the story could progress with the Grabber’s ending in the first film. According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from co-writer C. Robert Cargill, writer Joe Hill has a “really great idea” which is the only reason he is on board with the sequel being made. But how can a sequel work?

Well, one idea is to follow up with Finney and Gwen after the events of the first film. Perhaps they get caught up in a new horrific event, maybe as a result of Gwen’s abilities, and are forced to fight for their lives again. Another theory is that the production team plans to tell a whole new story in an anthology style, where the films are connected but not direct sequels. And lastly, a sequel where the Grabber is still somehow alive, similar to Michael Myers in the Halloween franchise, and able to go after someone else would be one way they could return.

Whichever way things go, with the idea being floated around that they hope to turn the films into a horror franchise, The Black Phone 2 has a lot to live up to upon its release in 2025.