With just over six weeks to go before it’s theatrical release, Smile 2’s gotten a new poster, with a new trailer set to drop tomorrow.
In the middle of the pandemic, there was a massive push towards making streaming films. Paramount Plus was one of the many studios that opted to make movies specially tailored for their service, but once the pandemic eased and people started going back to theatres, some movies which tested particularly well in early screenings were given theatrical releases.
The biggest success story to emerge from the streaming-to-theatrical pivot was Smile by director Parker Finn. A low-budget horror flick with a great hook, it made an astonishing $217 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. Now, the movie’s getting a sequel which expands the central premise, that a person is cursed by a supernatural entity to commit suicide (after flashing a demonic smile). This time, a pop star in the vein of Taylor Swift (played by rising star Naomi Scott) is passed the curse, with the first film’s Kyle Gallner co-starring.
With the sequel due to be released on October 18th, the studio’s all set to release an all-new trailer, which drops tomorrow. Until then, to whet your appetite, Paramount’s put out an all-new poster:
Here’s the official Smile 2 synopsis:
“About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.”
For more from “Skye Riley,” you can follow her on Instagram right here. Hopefully, Smile 2 will live up to the original, which I thought was a pretty nifty little sleeper hit and a total blast to watch with a raucous horror audience. With a prime release date just before Halloween, I expect this one to be a big hit (although the two-hour-plus running time seems excessive).