No matter how often she begs, Naomi Scott cannot avoid the evil grins in the first teaser trailer for Smile 2, the horror sequel to 2022’s Smile.
Scott stars as Skye Riley, an international pop star preparing to embark on a global tour. Skye’s life becomes a living hell when a supernatural curse possesses people around her with a sinister smile, driving the victims to commit suicide. “Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame,” Paramount’s synopsis reads, “Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
Besides Scott, Smile 2‘s cast includes Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, and Ray Nicholson. Kyle Gallner reprises his role as Joel from the first film.
Parker Finn, who wrote and directed Smile, returns in the same roles for Smile 2. The franchise is based on Finn’s 2020 short film, Laura Hasn’t Slept. Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Isaac Klausner, and Robert Salerno are listed as producers on Smile 2.
Released in September 2020, Smile stars Sosie Bacon as Rose Cotter, a therapist who believes a supernatural entity is haunting her after witnessing the horrific death of a patient. Smile was originally scheduled to stream directly to Paramount+. However, the studio pivoted and released the supernatural horror film in theaters.
The gamble paid off, as Smile became a gigantic hit for Paramount, grossing over $217 million against a budget of $17 million. The success of Smile led Finn to sign a first-look deal with Paramount to develop future horror projects.
Smile 2 arrives in theaters on October 18, 2024.
