From First-Time Horror to Mustang’s Strength: Arianna Rivas on BLACK PHONE 2

Image courtesy of Universal

By Shannon McGrew

In BLACK PHONE 2, Finn, now 17, struggles with life after being the sole survivor of The Grabber. However, his 15-year-old headstrong sister, Gwen, begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake. 

Determined to solve the mystery and end the torment for both her and her brother, Gwen persuades Finn to visit the camp during a winter storm. There, she uncovers a shattering intersection between The Grabber and her own family’s history. Together, she and Finn must confront a killer who has grown more powerful in death and more significant to them than either could imagine.

For the home entertainment release of BLACK PHONE 2, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke with actor Arianna Rivas about her role as Mustang, the niece of Alpine Lake’s camp supervisor Armando (Demian Bichir). During their chat, they discussed everything from joining the franchise and shaping Mustang’s strength to working with director Scott Derrickson and her experience stepping into her first horror film. 

Thank you so much for speaking with me today! To start things off, were you familiar with The Black Phone beforehand? If so, what initially drew you to its sequel? And if not, what excited you most about joining the project?

Arianna Rivas: I loved the first film and watched it as soon as it came out on streaming. I am not a huge horror fan by nature, so I was skeptical, but I ended up loving it because it felt emotional and heartfelt. That was something I really enjoyed about it. 

When it came into my inbox that there was going to be a second one, my first question was How? The grabber died. How is he going to come back? Then, who am I going to play and how am I going to fit into this story? I then read the part for Mustang and saw that she was a fun addition to this. I really wanted to see where Scott could take this brother/sister relationship and where it could end up. It was an honor to be a part of something that I already enjoyed as a fan.

The film deals with heavy themes of trauma, fear, etc. How did you tap into that emotional space for Mustang?

Arianna Rivas: I think so much of the weight of the story falls on Mason and Maddie and their characters as Finn and Gwen, and I think for Mustang, I didn’t believe that she was carrying the weight as much, and I think that I really wanted to come at the story with this grounded sense. I wanted her to be the driving force, like this is terrifying, but what are we going to do about it? There’s actually a deleted scene that’s out now in the bonus features where Mustang is basically telling Gwen that you can’t be afraid if you’re busy fighting back, and I think that one line gave me the direction I needed for Mustang. 

Image courtesy of Universal

How was it working with director Scott Derrickson and collaborating with your co-stars? 

Arianna Rivas: To put it simply, it was a masterclass, especially with Scott, cause he’s such a visionary and he’s so specific that to watch somebody so confident in the vision and how they were going to execute it was really something that I would take mental notes on. Every part of the film Scott can explain in some way, and I think that for me was really cool as an actor because he would give something, and I would know it’s for a purpose, and so bridging that gap of communication. I remember noticing, in the callback, that when he told me to lean back [in a scene], that move gave off a completely different energy. We played together in that way, and it was a lot of fun. The rest of the cast were just machines when it came to how they could tap in and tap out, and I think that professionalism mixed with their playfulness was something I really learned from. 

With this being your first horror film, how was it coming into a genre that you weren’t overly familiar with?

Arianna Rivas: For me, not having a ton of familiarity with how it goes felt like a blank slate. I didn’t have any expectations. I didn’t have any predisposed notions of what it was going to be. I was open and ready to learn, and I realized it’s really not too scary [Laughs]. 

Looking back, do you have a favorite moment on set or a favorite moment from the film?

Arianna Rivas: There are so many that stick with me because it was so much fun. We would all play the card game, Exploding Kittens, between takes. We’d really get into it [Laughs]. Because the snow came down so heavily, we would have snow days, and Mason was actually my cabin neighbor. We had to find things to do in the snow, and since we didn’t have a sled, I used my hard-shell suitcase. It did not work, and I lost my phone in the snow, but at least I have the memory [Laughs]! 

What are you most excited for audiences to experience when they meet Mustang?

Arianna Rivas: I’m excited for young women, especially, to see a strong, capable woman who’s tackling this really daunting thing. I want people to see her resilience and strength.

BLACK PHONE 2 is now available to rent or own on digital platforms and will be available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray December 23, 2025.