I Just Learned How Joe Hill Pitched The Black Phone 2, And I Think More Authors Should Be Involved In Their Adaptations

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I was initially doubtful when I learned a sequel to Black Phone was in development. But my interest piqued when I found out Joe Hill – the author of the short story that inspired the 2022 film – was heavily involved. Now I understand just how involved he was, and it’s really impressive. Hill recently shared the story behind the new horror movie and explained why he pushed for its 2025 release. It’s clear this kind of creative vision only comes when the original author remains passionate about their work.

I originally started ‘The Black Phone’ as a novel, getting about fifty to sixty pages in, but I lost confidence after facing a lot of rejections. Thankfully, Scott Derrickson and Cargill, who wrote the screenplay, used almost everything from my original short story – particularly the first two-thirds of the movie. It was a collaborative effort, and everyone involved contributed to the final result.

The successful adaptation of The Black Phone really shines because of the way the novelist and screenwriter’s skills blended together. But when Joe Hill first watched the film in theaters, he felt the story wasn’t finished, and he shared that he knew there was more to tell.

I immediately knew, after seeing the film and the mask Ethan Hawke’s character wears, that this could become a long-running franchise. It felt instantly iconic, like Jason’s hockey mask or Freddy Krueger’s glove – people would want to see more. The real challenge then becomes finding compelling stories to tell, or risk resorting to increasingly outlandish plots, like sending the villain into space.

The author of King Sorrow didn’t need a trip to space for ideas. He found inspiration by focusing on a small detail from the original movie, as he remembered:

I noticed a small scene that felt like a key to the entire second half of the movie. I wondered if Scott and Cargill realized how important it was, and I pointed out that it essentially laid out the whole plot for a sequel. They weren’t sure about making another movie at first, but after I showed them my idea based on that scene, they were really excited about it.

Joe Hill’s talent for spotting a compelling story within a single image is a major reason to be excited about this project. Usually, successful horror series are made because they’re profitable, not because of a consistent creative vision. In fact, sequels are rarely approved with a focus on maintaining story continuity. However, this time, the original creator is continuing the story, and it’s already proving to be a great decision.

According to Stephen King, Hill’s father and a renowned horror author, the sequel The Black Phone 2 is even better than the first film, a sentiment echoed by Nick Venable from TopMob, who described it as both haunting and hypnotic. It appears the creator of the terrifying villain, known as the Grabber, knew what he was doing by bringing him back – the movie reinforces the idea that death isn’t always final in this world.

If you’re looking for a good scare this season, Peacock has you covered, especially if you’re a fan of movies like The Black Phone. I checked out their options, and you can get in on the spooky fun for as little as $7.99 a month. They also offer Premium and Premium Plus plans if you want to ditch the ads and download shows to watch on the go – those cost a bit more, but might be worth it if you binge-watch a lot. I think it’s a solid streaming option for horror fans, and definitely worth considering if you’re looking for something new.

The Black Phone 2 premiered in theaters on October 17th and had a great opening weekend. You can find showtimes at your local movie theater. If you haven’t seen it yet, the first Black Phone movie from 2021 is currently available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

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2025-10-22 04:38