Say cheese!
Paramount has unveiled its first trailer for “Smile 2,” the follow-up to the 2022 breakout horror hit. In the sequel, out Oct. 18, a pop star (Naomi Scott) is driven mad by an evil curse that takes victims in the form of a creepy smile.
Parker Finn, writer and director of the first “Smile,” returns with actor Kyle Gallner, who played police officer Joel. The film series chronicles an evil, unrelenting demon that drives its victims to suicide by appearing as a series of human beings with sinister smiles plastered across their faces.
The first installment concluded with Joel witnessing the horrific death of his ex-girlfriend Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) after she lights herself on fire due to the mysterious grinning demon. Whoever witnesses someone else’s death at the hands of the entity becomes its next victim to be driven to suicide, meaning Joel may soon face the same fate.
Other cast members include Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Miles Gutierrez-Riley.
While originally slated for a streaming only premiere on Paramount+, the studio behind the film gave “Smile” a full theatrical release, a move that paid out $217 million at the global box office. The smiling success of the first film no doubt convinced Paramount to sign on for another. If the latest installment can pull off similar results, it could be the start of the newest saga in a long line of classic horror franchises.
After the release of the first film, Finn spoke briefly about the possibility of a sequel: “I do think that there is still a lot of interesting stuff to explore in the world of ‘Smile.’ There certainly are stones that I left unturned by design.”
“Smile 2” is set for release on Oct. 18. Watch the trailer below.
