Black Phone 2‘s theatrical run has brought new attention to one of horror’s more under-the-radar shared universes: The Black Phone and the found-footage anthology franchise V/H/S are officially connected through blood, not just a stylistic nod. The link runs through a character named Gunther Blake, confirmed as a cousin of The Black Phone‘s Gwen, according to GeekTyrant.
The Family Tie, Explained
Director Scott Derrickson wrote and directed a segment called “Dreamkill” for V/H/S/85, following a psychic teenager, Gunther Blake, who records his prophetic dreams of murders on videotape. GeekTyrant reports that Gunther is part of the same Blake family as Finney and Gwen, The Black Phone‘s central siblings, making “Dreamkill” canonically part of the same mythology. In a nod to real-life family, Gunther is played by Dashiell Derrickson, the director’s own son.
Where the Franchise Stands After ‘Black Phone 2’
Black Phone 2 opened in theaters on October 17, 2025, and won its opening weekend, pulling in roughly $27 million domestically in its first three days, according to MovieWeb. Per Wikipedia, the sequel has since grossed $132 million worldwide against a $30 million budget, with Ethan Hawke reprising his role as the Grabber alongside Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
Is a Third Film — or Further V/H/S Crossovers — Coming?
With Black Phone 2 performing well, attention has turned to whether Derrickson will make a third film. He told Variety that any sequel needs real justification, adding there’s “no justification for making a sequel” unless it improves on what came before. ScreenRant reports that Derrickson’s key condition for Black Phone 3 is avoiding a “retread” of the story beats the franchise has already covered, and no third film has been greenlit as of this writing.
Meanwhile, the V/H/S side of the universe has kept expanding. V/H/S/Halloween, the anthology series’ newest installment, premiered on Shudder on October 3, 2025 — two weeks before Black Phone 2 hit theaters — continuing the franchise’s yearly release pattern, according to BrainMutant. There’s no confirmation yet that any future V/H/S entry will revisit the Blake family, but the door remains open given Derrickson’s continued involvement in both franchises.
The Bigger Picture
What started as a small, easy-to-miss detail in a 2023 anthology segment has now become a bigger part of the franchise’s story — especially after Black Phone 2 expanded the universe.The story’s cast and reach. With both franchises actively releasing new installments and Derrickson still weighing a third Black Phone film, the connective tissue between the two horror worlds looks likely to stay relevant heading into 2026 and beyond.
