In the realm of horror, director Scott Derrickson made waves with the sleeper hit, “The Black Phone,” last year. The film, based on a story by Joe Hill, became a critical success and achieved significant box office earnings, amassing over $160 million. Although a sequel to “The Black Phone” is yet to materialize, Derrickson has revisited this eerie world through his latest project: a segment in Shudder’s upcoming horror anthology, “V/H/S/85.”
While the release of the new installment in the “V/H/S” series is scheduled for October 6th, Derrickson has hinted at an intriguing connection between his segment and “The Black Phone.” In a conversation with ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian ahead of the film’s exclusive debut on Shudder, Derrickson disclosed that his segment unfolds within the same canonical universe as “The Black Phone.”
He elaborated on this link, mentioning, “Oh, there’s actually a universe crossover in there, which I guess I made it too subtle because nobody’s picking it up.” Derrickson continued to explain the subtle connection, referring to a conversation between characters in his “V/H/S/85” segment that references the unique gift possessed by a character in “The Black Phone.” He stated, “It’s literally the same gift, it’s this ability to dream things before they happen, or have these prophetic, futuristic, surreal dreams.”
In “The Black Phone,” a character named Gwen possesses the extraordinary ability to foresee events through her dreams. This ability proves crucial in saving her brother, who is held captive by a serial kidnapper and killer. Derrickson’s segment in “V/H/S/85” introduces a character with the identical gift, even explicitly mentioning characters from “The Black Phone.”
Exploring V/H/S/85: An Overview
“V/H/S/85” is the sixth installment in the popular anthology horror series that kicked off with “V/H/S” in 2012. This latest addition features segments directed by accomplished filmmakers, including Scott Derrickson (“Sinister,” “Doctor Strange,” “The Black Phone”), David Bruckner (“The Ritual,” “Hellraiser – 2022”), Gigi Saul Guerrero (“Bingo Hell,” “The Purge TV series”), Natasha Kermani (“Lucky”), and Mike P. Nelson (“Wrong Turn – 2021”).
The forthcoming sequel is described as “An ominous mixtape blends never-before-seen footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten ’80s.” The anticipation is building as horror enthusiasts await the amalgamation of eerie tales and analog nostalgia when “V/H/S/85” hits screens.
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