The 2022 horror movie Smile was a massive success for Paramount. It managed to earn $217.4 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. Director Parker Finn was quickly tapped by the studio to make a sequel, and now the first official trailer for Smile 2 has been released.
The original film was actually based on Finn’s own short film titled Laura Hasn’t Slept. Obviously Smile was a major step-up from the short, and if the footage below is any indication, then Smile 2 is absolutely a step-up from its predecessor. And when you consider how many fans were pleased by Smile, then that’s a good sign for the sequel.
Kyle Gallner is set to reprise his role as Joel from the first film for the sequel. As for the new cast, Naomi Scott leads as pop star Skye Riley, with Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley as the film’s newcomers.
Here’s the first official trailer for Smile 2:
It’s a great way to begin the film’s marketing campaign. Fans will recall that Paramount went all out with marketing the first film, having brilliantly placed smiling actors with eerie expressions in random locations. It seems as though this new sequel could very well do the same.
Parker Finn both wrote and directed the sequel. Fans can expect to see Smile 2 hit theaters on October 18, 2024. It looks like the film will be a great treat for horror fans this Halloween season. And, going by the positive responses to the footage from viewers, Paramount could very well have another perfectly-timed box office success on their hands.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Smile 2 and any other projects from director Parker Finn. He was recently attached to a remake of the cult classic horror film Possession, and judging by the look of this Smile 2 trailer, he’s certainly going to be a filmmaker to keep an eye out for.