The Grabber's Black Phone 2 Return Was Secretly Set Up In The First Movie, Teases Author Behind 2023 Horror Hit: "That's A Trap Door Into The Second Film"

Author Joe Hill, who wrote the short story “The Black Phone,” has explained that The Grabber’s return for Black Phone 2 was set up in the original movie. The upcoming horror sequel, directed by Scott Derrickson, brings back the menacing serial abductor, despite him having been murdered, with Ethan Hawke reprising his role as The Grabber.

During an interview with ScreenRant‘s Grant Hermanns for Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story, Joe Hill teased The Grabber returning. Hill confirmed that Hawke’s character is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but explained that Finney (Thames) has already communicated with ghosts once and that “maybe he isn’t as gone as we thought he was.“

Hill also revealed there were several aspects of The Black Phone that he recognized as potential for a sequel. He added that a moment from the original movie could tie into Black Phone 2, noting that it’s “a trap door” that may have gone unnoticed by others. As Hill explains, after sharing a possible concept with Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill, they “thought it was really cool.” Check out his full comments below:

EXCLUSIVE: I don’t think I could say too much about that, but I have seen the theories. I would just point out The Grabber is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but being ᴅᴇᴀᴅ hasn’t stopped people from reaching out to Finney before. So, maybe he isn’t as gone as we thought he was. I’m excited to see what people make of the picture. Originally, Scott and Cargill weren’t sure there was a sequel there, but there were two things the first time I saw the film. Even before I saw the film, when I saw the mask, I thought, “Oh, there’s gonna be a bunch of these pictures, because that’s iconic in the way of Freddy Krueger’s glove and Michael Myers’ mask, and the hockey mask, and stuff. I think we’re going to have a bunch of The Grabber.”

And then, when I saw the film, there’s a thing in the first picture, just a brief thing, and when I saw that, I thought, “Oh, that’s a trap door into the second film. They stuck something.” And I was like, “I don’t even know if they know that they just stuck this thing in the movie that’s the obvious door to fling open to go into the second picture.” So, I pitched this idea to them, and they both thought it was really cool.

And then, Scott brought in some more stuff. The first film, in some ways, is very autobiographical. It’s about growing up dirty and in the 1970s in Denver, and he brought some more stuff in there. And then Cargill is just a masterful engineer in terms of figuring out how to engineer a suspenseful sequence, and put his characters in peril. So, they wound up with a great script, and I’m excited for the film to come out. I can’t believe I’ve got two of these things coming out this year.

What Joe Hill’s Comments Mean For Black Phone 2

How Will The Grabber Come Back?

When The Black Phone ends, Finney has used every guideline from deceased victims to wound The Grabber and overcome him. Audiences last saw The Grabber strangled by a phone cord, and police reveal they recovered bodies from his home. Now, Black Phone 2 is producing speculation surrounding The Grabber and how he will eventually return.

Some theories include that he will manifest as a ghost and/or continue targeting Finney for having survived, and Hill’s comments validate such ideas. Additionally, since the Black Phone 2 trailer was released, genre fans have noted similarities between The Grabber and Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The early footage reveals that Gwen (McGraw) is experiencing dreams, which may physically affect her in real life. It also signals that The Grabber could be responsible for more disappearances at Alpine Lake and that he will communicate with Finney via phone.

Our Take On The Grabber’s Return

He Might Be Even More Dangerous

The Black Phone Ethan Hawke as The Grabber

Based on these comments from Hill, it will be interesting to see exactly what moment from the first movie leads to Black Phone 2. The Grabber being ᴅᴇᴀᴅ not only makes for a compelling sequel, but it may also mean that he is more dangerous than before, which should present a real challenge for Finney and Gwen to solve, especially if the film veers completely supernatural.