This Black Phone 2 Character Could've Died Thanks To A Studio Note [Exclusive]

Copyright slashfilm

When it comes to horror movies, fans love to figure out where their favorite films fit. Which is why movies like "The Black Phone" and its sequel, this month's "Black Phone 2," can provide some engaging debate or some irritation, depending on your personality and taste. That's because the films don't neatly fit into a pre-fabricated subgenre category; they contain elements of the serial killer thriller, the supernatural horror film, and the slasher, meaning they don't neatly fit into any of those subgenres. Thus, those who call "Black Phone 2" a slasher film by default feel frustrated by the movie, especially given the fact that the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies, being generally regarded as a slasher series, are a clear influence on the sequel. Their number one criticism against "Black Phone 2" is that, unlike the majority of other slasher films, no one in it dies; all the murders in it have taken place before the events of the film. While this unique quality is what helps "Black Phone 2" feel inspired for those of us who enjoy the film, it certainly was a point of contention that arose while making the movie. Director/co-writer Scott Derrickson and co-writer C. Robert Cargill were adamant from the start that they wanted to make a scary movie where there were no on-screen deaths. Yet one studio executive had a note that could've led to that concept being changed. As Jacob Hall learned during a recent chat with Cargill for the /Film Weekly Podcast, the character who almost found themselves getting offed in the movie was Barbara (Maev Beaty), someone who, in a standard slasher movie, would absolutely be first on the chopping block. However, Cargill and Derrickson stuck to their guns, allowing "Black Phone 2" to continue to defy expectations.