We Finally Know When Horror Sequel Smile 2 Is Coming Out, And I'm Grinning With Fear

[Taylor Swift]

Get ready for more creepy smiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the great 2022 horror movies that crept on audiences the most was Smile. Writer/director Parker Finn’s directorial debut offered a seriously scary supernatural concept about an entity that leaves its human hosts with massive grins on their faces as they enact violence on others. Following a sequel being announced by Paramount earlier this year, we finally know when Smile 2 is being released, and I’m pumped to see the wait isn’t too long. 

Paramount has set Smile’s release date for just over a year from now, on October 18, 2024, per The Hollywood Reporter. Not only is that sooner than I expected, it’s also perfectly placed in the smack dab of Halloween season. I’m grinning with fear about the idea of revisiting this concept on the big screen. 

Smile was a surprise hit of last fall’s movie season, making $217 million worldwide off a $22 million budget. Across its time in theaters, it became the highest-grossing R-rated horror movie worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, and its second weekend drop was the second-smallest ever for a movie of the genre, behind only Jordan Peele’s Get Out. 

The movie was based on a 2020 short film Laura Hasn’t Slept. Smile follows Sosie Bacon’s Dr. Rose Cutter, a therapist working at a psychiatric ward who becomes terrorized by a mysterious entity. Critics generally were in favor of Smile too, including CinemaBlend own 4-out-of-5 star Smile review. Even Stephen King praised the film, especially applauding Bacon for “a hell of a performance.” 

CinemaBlend spoke to writer/director Parker Finn last year about the ending to Smile and his thoughts about a sequel. Here’s what he said at the time:

" I don't love it when the ending is tied up with a bow. I like messy endings that can deliver an emotional catharsis, but also be ambiguous and then potentially, pull the rug out from underneath you. I think the intention with the film was to tell a self-contained story. I think there could still be a lot of fun stuff to do with Smile, but if there was any story that was gonna continue, I'd wanna make sure that it's not a retread of what we already watched – that it's something new and that it would have more surprises in store for the audience. "

No casting announcements have been made for Smile 2, and it’s unclear if the movie has begun filming yet. Given Finn’s comments, it’s very possible that the sequel could be a contained story in its own breadth. The writer/director must have a new concept ready to go given the release date, but it should be noted the Hollywood industry is currently facing two strikes from writers and actors. 

For the time being, the 2024 new movie release calendar is rather bare in October other than the highly-anticipated Joker sequel, Jolie á Deux, landing in theaters on October 4. The Warner Bros. movie will have a two weekend head start prior to Smile 2’s release date. Undoubtedly more upcoming horror movies will receive October 2024 dates, but right now, Smile has earned the first slot for next season’s selection. I'm stoked and ready to fear smiles again!