Scott Derrickson: The Master of On-Screen Mayhem

Scott Derrickson has really made a name for himself in the horror genre, primarily by dreaming up all kinds of chilling ways for people to meet their doom. And let’s be real, a surprising number of those victims are kiddos. Just to clarify, he hasn’t actually gone rogue in real life—his victims are all products of his spooky imagination!

Black Phone 2: A Box Office Hit

His latest flick, Black Phone 2, is kicking butt at the box office! Naturally, this has sparked some buzz about a possible third movie. But before we start drafting the sequel, Derrickson is drawing a line in the sand, ready to keep everything fresh and exciting. When asked about Black Phone 3, he stated, “What would be important to me in considering any ideas is that it’s just not a retread.” In other words, he’s not interested in just recycling what’s been done before.

No More Rehashing Old Lore!

Derrickson is particularly against cooking up some new lore for the Grabber. It’s like he’s saying, “Oh, we need a new rule for the Grabber? Let’s just use that same old recipe.” No, no, not on his watch! He’s making it clear that he won’t venture down that tired path again.

The Evolving Grabber

Some folks might find Derrickson’s stance a bit surprising, given that Black Phone 2 takes the Grabber, played by the very talented Ethan Hawke, in a different direction. This sequel dives deeper into his backstory and even resurrects him in a way that gives us major Freddy Krueger vibes. Talk about upping the ante! That’s quite the twist from the first film where he simply snatched and dispatched innocent kids.

A Fine Line Between Rules and Weirdness

But wait—there’s a big difference between establishing a new status quo and scrambling the rules like a bad omelet. Picture it: in some of those old Hammer horror movies, a character suddenly declares that Dracula can’t cross running water or pass through the woods. And guess what? Dracula then gets stuck in the very woods he’s not supposed to traverse. Yikes!

On the flip side, look at the Friday the 13th saga—Jason’s a squishy human for the first few movies, then he magically becomes an unkillable zombie in the sixth. Crazy, right?

Going Bigger and Better

Derrickson is adamant about pushing boundaries with Black Phone 3. He firmly believes that sequels should aim for greatness. “There’s really no justification for making a sequel unless you’re genuinely attempting to make a movie that’s better than the first,” he quipped, giving a nod to some rare cinematic achievements.

He points out that few sequels ever hit the mark. Looking back at cinema’s illustrious history, he considers Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead trilogy and George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series as the shining exceptions where all entries are phenomenal and improve with each installment.

The Stakes Are High

Of course, Romero went on to crank out a few more movies in the Living Dead universe, and while some ended up being decent (hey, Land of the Dead), others… well, let’s just say they weren’t award-winning material. Derrickson’s point stands tall; he’s not here to tarnish his record of horror with mediocre sequels. He’s already traumatized enough fictional folks—he doesn’t want to drag things down with a lame follow-up.

Catch Black Phone 2 Now!

Don’t miss out on the spookiness—Black Phone 2 is now available in theaters, and it promises plenty of thrills and chills!