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Posted in: Blumhouse, Movies, Universal | Tagged: blumhouse, the black phone, The Black Phone 2, Universal Pictures
The Black Phone Director Reveals His Requirement for a Third Film
The director behind The Black Phone films reveals what he needs to commit to a third installment of the Blumhouse franchise.
Article Summary
- Black Phone 2 debuts at No. 1, earning $42 million worldwide and surpassing the first film's opening.
- Director Scott Derrickson says a third film will only happen if it can top both previous installments.
- Blumhouse’s track record with horror franchises hints at strong potential for The Black Phone’s future.
- A third Black Phone movie depends on a standout script that raises the stakes and quality even further.
Black Phone 2 just hit theaters and is already shaping up to be a notable win for Blumhouse. As of now, it has opened at No. 1 at the box office, earning just over $ 42 million worldwide on a reported production budget of $ 30 million, and it has even outpaced the first film's impressive domestic debut. With that kind of profitable start, strong franchise momentum, and clear audience interest, chatter about a third movie only makes sense. And even though nothing is locked in just yet, we know that we can expect even higher stakes if a third film comes to fruition.
Here's what's being said about where things might go next.
The Black Phone 3 Would Need to Raise the Bar
Director Scott Derrickson is not currently promising anything, but he is clear about his standard. Speaking to Variety, he said, "What I can say [about what's next] is that my attitude toward a sequel is that there's really no justification for making a sequel unless you are genuinely attempting to make a movie that's better than the first movie you're making a sequel to. If you're going to make a third one, it needs to be better than the second one, which is better than the first one. Very few films do that." That is a high bar, and it suggests any third entry would only move forward if the idea tops what came before. But that also suggests that he's already put some effort into where the story might go next.
Blumhouse is basically built for this kind of growth. The company has turned modestly priced scares into long-running series more than once, from Paranormal Activity to Insidious, and it successfully steered the modern Halloween run. Those franchises prove the model works when a clear concept meets disciplined budgets and repeatable chills. So, with a budget already covered and momentum heading into Halloween, a third call feels pretty likely. Whether it actually occurs depends on the script meeting Derrickson's better-than-before test. Until then, the phone is obviously still ringing, and moviegoers are still willing to pick up. Still, do you think a third entry of The Black Phone could work?
Black Phone 2 is in theaters now.
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