Scott Derrickson Says His Teenage Years Shaped the Terrifying World of BLACK PHONE 2

As Black Phone 2 hits theaters, director Scott Derrickson is revealing that the haunting sequel was born from his own teenage experiences.

The filmmaker, who directed Doctor Strange back in 2016, says that his creative spark for the sequel came not from outside influences, but from memories of his youth that still linger in the shadows of his mind.

In a recent chat with Filmfare, Derrickson opened up about how his filmmaking process is grounded in his own life rather than imitation.

“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.”

That philosophy clearly guided his approach to Black Phone 2, which dives deeper into the nightmarish atmosphere and psychological terror that made the first film such a standout.

“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.”

The sequel, set in 1982, picks up four years after the events of the original. Mason Thames returns as Finney Blake, still haunted by his abduction at the hands of Ethan Hawke’s chilling villain, the Grabber.

As Finney struggles to piece his life back together, his younger sister begins to experience terrifying visions, and the familiar ring of that black phone starts echoing once again.

Alongside Thames and Hawke, the film features Madeleine McGraw, Demián Bichir, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora in key roles.

Early reactions from test screenings have been overwhelmingly positive, which means that Derrickson’s personal touch has paid off in a big way for the movie.

Black Phone 2 is now in theaters on it looks like a chilling, and emotionally grounded, horror sequel that fans will enjoy.