Smile 2 director says the sequel uses ideas that didn’t make it into the first film – and he already has a plan for a third movie too

Smile 2 trailer
(Image credit: Paramount)

Smile 2 director Parker Finn says that even though the first movie "uncovered" the curse – we ain't seen nothin' yet.

"There was information I had for myself that wasn’t expressed in the first film that I took the opportunity to bring into the new one, so what Smile 2 is doing is showing us new things," Finn tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Terrifier 3 on the cover and hits newsstands on October 2. "We felt like we’d uncovered the mystery in the first one, but we’ve maybe only scooped a single glass of water out of the ocean."

The sequel to the surprise horror blockbuster stars Naomi Scott (Aladdin, Charlie's Angels) as a pop star who becomes afflicted with the curse as she embarks on a world tour. The cast includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Dylan Gelula, Ray Nicholson, and Kyle Gallner in a reprisal of his role from the first film.

"There are some ideas that I think are very exciting. I think it’s really fun to imagine a lineage of Smile movies where each one becomes more off the rails than the previous one," Finn adds, lightly teasing the concept of a full-out Smile horror franchise – which wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility given that the films have a similar campiness as franchises like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. "What’s really interesting about Smile is that you can find yourself in different stories, different characters, different worlds."

Smile hit theaters in 2022 and earned over $217 million against a budget of $17 million, and received largely positive reviews. Sosie Bacon starred as a therapist who witnessed the bizarre suicide of a patient, only to realize it's the work of something more sinister and supernatural. You might remember that Gallner's Joel is the only person Bacon's Rose can talk to about the curse – and that he has it, too. Whether he becomes a saving grace or an added terror for Scott's Skye Riley remains to be seen.

Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!

Smile 2 releases on October 18. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Terrifier 3 on the cover and will be available from Wednesday, October 2. 

For even more from SFX, sign up to our newsletter, which delivers all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

Read more
Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in The Black Phone
The Black Phone 2 director reveals the one "main difference" between the original horror movie and its upcoming "more graphic" sequel
Tatiana Maslany as Lois in The Monkey
She-Hulk star Tatiana Maslany says her next horror movie with Osgood Perkins won't be anything like The Monkey or Longlegs: "There's always a little mischief"
Bring Her Back
First teaser for follow-up horror from Talk to Me directors is just as unsettling as I thought it would be
Five Nights at Freddy's movie
First behind the scenes look at Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 teases flashback scene and shows the return of Matthew Lillard's villain
Sharni Vinson as Erin in You're Next (2011)
Team behind slasher horror You're Next reveal their scrapped idea for a twisted sequel: "My point is, it's really good we didn't make this movie"
David Howard Thornton as Art The Clown in Terrifier 3
Terrifier 4 is officially in the works, with director Damien Leone teasing that the horror will finally reveal Art's origin story
Latest in Horror Movies
Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place Part 2
A Quiet Place 3 is finally happening, but it'll be a while because John Krasinski is so busy: "It's hard to get him"
Theo James as Hal in Osgood Perkins' The Monkey
It might only be March, but Stephen King adaptation The Monkey is now the highest grossing horror movie of 2025
Train to Busan passengers
Train to Busan director is returning to the horror sub-genre with a new movie described as the culmination of his zombie universe
John Lithgow as Dave Crealy in The Rule of Jenny Pen
John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush's twisted chiller is a much-needed shake-up to the horror genre, disrupting harmful elderly stereotypes embraced by the likes of X and The Shining
Kathryn Newton in Abigail
Marvel star joins former Scream directors for highly-anticipated upcoming horror sequel
Mickey 17
Robert Pattinson says he got so scared watching a horror movie that he fell asleep holding two kitchen knives: "I'm too sensitive"
Latest in News
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero expert finally annihilates world record 200% speedrun of the game's hardest song after trying and failing 50,000 times
Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place Part 2
A Quiet Place 3 is finally happening, but it'll be a while because John Krasinski is so busy: "It's hard to get him"
Atomfall screenshot
Fallout: New Vegas is a big inspiration for Atomfall, which is why you’ll be able to kill every NPC in post-apocalyptic Cumbria
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State star Giancarlo Esposito explains why adapting the bleak novel into a family friendly adventure was the right decision: "I'm going to bring my children with me"
soldiers dropping in from the sky and looking over verdansk
Warzone's original map is returning next month, but it's still not enough: "We don't just want Verdansk back. We want everything back"
Penn Badgley and Charlotte Richie in You season 5
You season 5 trailer introduces Joe's new love interest and teases familiar faces in the final installment of the Netflix thriller