The Black Phone duo Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill ink deal with Screen Gems

The filmmaking duo behind the 2021 sleeper hit The Black Phone, based on Joe Hill's short story, have just inked a new deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment! Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have signed a first-look agreement with Sony, specifically their genre-focused division Screen Gems, reports Deadline.

Derrickson previously worked with Screen Gems on his breakout horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, one of my favorite possession films of all time. Screen Gems is also the studio behind last year's huge hit Insidious: The Red Door and the recently released Tarot. The studio's upcoming projects include the sixth Insidious film and the John Cho-led horror film They Listen.

Besides The Black Phone, Derrickson and Cargill collaborated on Sinister and Sinister 2, which collectively made over $140 million at the box office. The duo is currently in post-production on the romantic action film The Gorge, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Miles Teller, and Sigourney Weaver.

The pair are set to return for The Black Phone 2, which is currently slated to hit theaters on October 17, 2025. The Black Phone and its sequel are produced and distributed by Univeral Pictures and Blumhouse Productions.

Cargill and Derrickson released a joint statement regarding their new deal.

"We’re very excited to be joining Sony Pictures at this juncture and to be pairing with the incredible new team over at Screen Gems. Their commitment to giving thoughtful, intense, genre films theatrical distribution is in line with what we very much want to be doing both as a company and as artists. Our early work with them is already yielding exciting developments, and we look forward to making numerous great projects together in the years to come."

Outside of filmmaking, Cargill is an accomplished novelist who has written books like Sea of Rust and its prequel Day Zero. He also has a story in the upcoming anthology The End of the World as We Know It, which takes place in the world of Stephen King's The Stand. The prodigious horror author recently complimented Cargill's work in the collection.

No release date yet on that collection. But stay tuned to 1428 Elm for more information on all things horror, and make sure to follow us on our Facebook page and Twitter account!