Mason Thames On Reprising Finney In Black Phone 2: A Surreal Experience

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Black Phone 2! Mason Thames returns for the sequel, facing off again with Ethan Hawke, and he found the experience of making the film to be quite strange. Black Phone 2 continues the story from the 2021 movie, which was based on Joe Hill’s novel. It takes place four years after Finney Blake (Thames) defeated The Grabber (Hawke) and returned to his family – his sister, who has psychic abilities, and his father, who feels regret.

Still shaken from a terrifying ordeal, Finney tries to cope while his sister, Gwen, starts experiencing disturbing visions of murders that happened two decades ago at Alpine Lake Camp. Together with their friend, Ernesto, who Gwen is close to, they investigate and discover the killings were committed by a sinister figure known as The Grabber. He begins to haunt Gwen in her dreams and appears as a ghost to Finney, escalating their torment.

Released during the Halloween season, Black Phone 2 has received mostly good reviews and proven successful at the box office, earning almost $130 million despite costing only $30 million to make. The film’s success has led to talk of a third Black Phone movie, but the creators – Derrickson, Cargill, and Hill – say they will only make it if they find a compelling story idea.

Now that Black Phone 2 is available to rent or buy online, ScreenRant spoke with star Mason Thames about the film. He shared that this was his first time working on a sequel, and explained how lessons learned since the first movie helped him deliver a stronger performance. He also enjoyed having more screen time with his co-stars, Madeleine McGraw and Miguel Mora, and discussed the intense climax of the film.

Thames Making His First-Ever Sequel With Black Phone 2 Was “Really Surreal”

Before starring in the popular 2021 film, Thames began his acting career with the 2017 short film After Omelas and a part in the first season of For All Mankind, playing the child of Tracy and Gordo Stevens. The success of that first film quickly boosted his career, especially when he landed the lead role of Hiccup in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie, which set him up for a long-term franchise.

Because The Black Phone was much more successful than his previous work, Mason Thames unexpectedly got to make a sequel, Black Phone 2. He says he never imagined he’d have the opportunity, as most actors don’t get to return for a follow-up film. He found it strange but also rewarding to revisit the character, especially since he was only 13 during the first movie and 18 when the sequel came out.

It’s been amazing watching how the actor playing Finney has really dug into the role, and you can tell his past work has helped him find a new way to play the character. He told me he was just thrilled with everything his character gets to do in the movie! But he specifically mentioned two scenes he was really looking forward to filming. The first was that incredibly tense phone call with The Grabber at the phone booth up on the mountain, and the other was when Finn and Gwen’s dad finally comes to rescue them – he said those were the moments that jumped out at him when he first read the script.

Thames explained that Finney opened up about his emotions, saying, “It was great to see him finally express himself. He really needed that, and a hug, I think.” Thames added that they both enjoyed those moments, and revisiting the basement was particularly fun.

Finney Getting More Time With Gwen & Ernesto Is Part Of What Makes The Black Phone Work

Universal Pictures

In Black Phone 2, Finney will deal with the trauma of his first encounter with The Grabber, and we’ll see much more of his relationship with Gwen. The film will also introduce a new character, Ernesto, played by Miguel Mora, who previously portrayed Ernesto’s older brother, Robin. The first Black Phone movie started by showing the close and often difficult relationship between Finney and Gwen, but after Finney was kidnapped, they were largely separated for the rest of the film.

Unlike previous installments, Black Phone 2 keeps the siblings together throughout most of the story, only separating them during Gwen’s dreamlike visions where she first faces the villain and his plans. This allows for a stronger focus on their relationship and, according to director Thames, emphasizes the emotional core of the series.

What really grabbed me with the first movie, and still does, is that it didn’t feel like a typical horror film. It had so much genuine emotion, and I instantly connected with the characters. I think the strong bond between the siblings was key – seeing how much they cared for and protected each other was amazing. So, getting to see Finney and Gwen again and find out what’s happened with them was a real treat.

It was really wonderful getting to see Mora work again, especially in this new role. He’s just such a positive presence on set – we really click! I was so impressed by how completely different his performance was from The Black Phone. It was amazing watching him become this new character, especially the little details – like his glasses and stutter – after playing such a confident and outgoing Robin in the first movie. He’s truly fantastic.

A funny part of bringing back Mora was that Thames had been told Derrickson planned to include the young actor in the sequel, but he was confused while reading the script for The Black Phone 2. He first thought Finney would be hallucinating Robin, and it wasn’t until he was well into the script that he figured out how his co-star would actually return.

I was really excited when I read the script and saw the character Ernesto, a younger brother. Then it hit me – Robin was playing him! I’d completely forgotten. He was fantastic in the role, and I’m so glad people love him as much as I do – he’s a great guy.

Finney & The Grabber’s Intense Final Confrontation “Was Crazy” For Thames To Do With Hawke

It was so great to work with Ethan Hawke again on this film! We were joking about the phone booth scene, and honestly, it wasn’t that hard to avoid looking at him – or, more accurately, at The Grabber while he was in that mask. Those Tom Savini masks really do the trick! It actually reminded me of the first movie, where I kind of got used to not making direct eye contact with the actors in those ghost masks. That experience definitely helped me avoid looking straight at Ethan this time around.

Thames explained that the scenes set in the camp were filmed in genuinely harsh conditions. “All the snow you see was real, and we were actually shooting during a blizzard,” he said. He recalled it being very late at night when the crew rushed to film the scene, struggling to set everything up and only managing a couple of rehearsals due to the difficult weather.

It was amazing being on set for Black Phone 2’s finale! Watching Ethan Hawke fight an unseen version of The Grabber was intense, especially since that’s when we all got our first real look at his terrifying demonic form. It’s funny, looking back at the first movie, he just had long hair and the mask! But seeing the practical effects—the chilling disfigurements under the mask—was genuinely scary, even for us on set. It really added to the atmosphere.

The makeup effects were amazing. It took weeks of work and a lot of time in the chair for the actor, but it was really effective. Honestly, it was satisfying to see the character go through that – both for Finn and for me personally. It was a great scene. [Laughs]

Be sure to dive into some of our other Black Phone 2 coverage with:

  • Our Black Phone 2 Review
  • Our pre-release interviews with Thames, McGraw, Mora & Demián Bichir
  • Thames weighing in on the chances of Black Phone 3
  • Thames explaining what Gwen’s secret final line was to Finney in Black Phone 2‘s ending

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2025-11-21 04:00