In *The Black Phone* of 2022, Ethan Hawke shocked viewers as the masked abductor referred to as “the Grabber.” Now, he’s set to do it again in Blumhouse’s *Black Phone 2*.

Fans of the original *Black Phone* are aware that the movie concluded with — spoiler alert! — the Grabber’s demise. However, horror enthusiasts should be wise enough to realize that no horror villain is ever completely finished. Especially when that villain is pivotal to a box office sensation like *The Black Phone*.

So, what brings the Grabber back in *Black Phone 2*? It seems he’s following in the footsteps of another horror legend: *Nightmare on Elm Street*’s Freddy Krueger.

Similar to the infamous Freddy, the Grabber now has the ability to assault children in their dreams. His focus is on Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), the younger sister of *The Black Phone*’s main character Finney (Mason Thames). Gwen begins to experience disturbing visions of three boys being hunted at Alpine Lake winter camp, prompting her to recruit Finney for help. At the camp, they uncover a disconcerting familial link to the Grabber. They also discover that their adversary has become more powerful in death, leading to some frightening ghostly battle scenes in the trailer above. Will Gwen and Finney manage to eliminate the Grabber for good?

Director Scott Derrickson from *The Black Phone* returns to steer *Black Phone 2*. He and C. Robert Cargill collaborated on the screenplay, based on the short story by Joe Hill. The film additionally features Demián Bichir, Miguel Mora, Jeremy Davies, and Arianna Rivas.

*Black Phone 2* premieres in theaters on Oct. 17.