Our latest digital cover for the month of October features Madeleine McGraw who reprises her role as Gwen in the supernatural horror Black Phone 2, the highly anticipated sequel to The Black Phone from director-writer Scott Derrickson. Black Phone 2 premiered in theaters on October 17 and debuted to number one at the box office over the past weekend.

Also returning to the sequel are Ethan Hawke as the sinister The Grabber, Mason Thames as Finn, “Finney,” Miguel Mora, but in a new role, as Ernesto, the brother of Robin who was a victim of The Grabber in the first film, and Jeremy Davies as Finn and Gwen’s father. New cast members include Demián Bichir, Arianna Rivas, Maev Beaty, and Graham Abbey.

In Black Phone 2, Finn is now 17 and struggling with life after his captivity as his 15-year-old sister Gwen starts getting calls in her dreams from the mysterious black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp named Alpine Lake. Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for them both, Gwen convinces Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm.

In our exclusive conversation, Madeleine discusses returning to set for the sequel, what audiences can expect from Gwen’s character in Black Phone 2, and more.

Exclusive photos for Popternative Magazine by Kathlyn Almeida

Stylist: Nora Foley and Annie Easton (Annie & Nora)
MUA: Robert Bryan for The Wall Group using Bobbi Brown Cosmetics
Hair: Samm Castro
Studio: Cinepacks Studio
PR: Advantage PR
Photography and BTS Assistant: Aliah Anderson

What was it like to hear some of the early fan reception of Black Phone 2’s premiere at Fantastic Fest?

Madeleine: I was beyond happy to see all of the reactions because everyone seems very excited and thrilled about the second one, at least the reactions that I’ve seen, and so, I cannot wait for it to be released to the full fan base, the full audiences.

What would you say are some of the differences audiences will see in Gwen’s character in the sequel compared to the first film?

Madeleine: Gwen has definitely gone through a lot since we’ve last seen her. I feel like she’s dealing with so much trauma that came from the first movie. She’s also grown as a person but also has become a lot more reserved and introverted. And something I wanted to keep in mind when filming was not recreating what we did in the first movie, but honoring what the characters went through and the trauma that they had dealing with the Grabber and her dreams and visions. And I felt like it was really important to show in the second film how Gwen is not only balancing school and getting bullied for her visions, but also having these dreams that she wants to dive deeper and explore more.

What was it like for you going back on set for Black Phone 2?

Madeleine: It’s always great to work with people that you’ve worked with in the past, because you’re already so familiar with each other and very comfortable. So, it was great to see a lot of the cast return for the second one. But I think it was also so great to add new cast members to the Black Phone family. It’s just so great to get to share something so special with new characters and adding them to the franchise and getting to show their character arcs and how important they are too.

What do you personally enjoy about acting in the horror genre?

Madeleine: I would say getting to show different ranges of emotions because I feel like in horror movies, you get to show that you are scared, angry, sad, funny; you get to show such a wide variety of emotions and all the different layers to your character. But I also feel like horror movies take a lot of risks, and I say this a lot because I respect horror movies so much in that way. They’re not afraid to just go outside the box and draw outside the lines. That’s one of the main reasons I love horror movies so much is that they take those risks.

When people get to watch Black Phone 2, what are you hoping they get out of it?

Madeleine: I hope they see how strong Finney and Gwen’s bond is because at the end of the day, it’s not just a movie about a kidnapper or a serial killer. It truly is about the heart that all these characters have and all the emotional ties, and it is very dark. So, I hope they get scared, because it is a horror movie, but I also hope they really feel all the emotions that each individual character brings to the movie.

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Black Phone 2 is playing in theaters.

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