Put on a happy face, because “Smile 3” is officially in the works.
Paramount has hired David Bruckner to direct and Nick Antosca to write the screenplay. They’re taking over for Parker Finn, who created the series and will remain involved as a producer alongside Temple Hill. (Finn pitched the framework for the third installment.) Jonathan Fass will executive produce.
Bruckner’s credits include the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, 2017’s psychological thriller “The Ritual” and 2020’s supernatural horror film “The Night House.” Bruckner is particularly in demand as of late: he’s currently writing and developing a reboot of the sci-fi horror classic, “The Blob,” for Warner Bros., as well as Universal’s adaptation of “The Caretaker,” starring Sydney Sweeney, plus he’s set to direct “Mice” for A24.
Antosca is best known for creating Apple’s miniseries “Cape Fear” and co-creating Hulu’s “The Act,” as well as writing 2021’s “Antlers” and the most recent Colleen Hoover adaptation “Verity.”
Plot details for the third “Smile” movie haven’t been revealed. The first film stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist who becomes haunted by hallucinations after witnessing a patient die. In the second, Naomi Scott plays a pop singer who begins to experience a series of disturbing events as she embarks on tour. Since each “Smile” movie has functioned as a standalone sequel, with a separate story and new stars, it’s unclear who will appear in the threequel.
Finn wrote and directed 2022’s “Smile” and the 2024 sequel “Smile 2.” The original film — commissioned for streaming before pivoting to a theatrical release — became a sleeper hit, with $105 million domestically and $217 million globally. The follow-up wasn’t quite as big at the box office but became a commercial win, with $69 million domestically and $139 million globally against a modest $28 million budget. In total, the franchise has earned more than $350 million worldwide.
Although Finn isn’t spearheading “Smile 3,” he’s still working closely with Paramount, having signed a first-look deal with the studio after the first “Smile” became a theatrical success. Finn is directing a remake of the 1981 supernatural thriller “Possession,” starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley and set for June 11, 2027.
