‘It will never let go’
Smile 2 is a 2024 horror film about a pop star who begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events.
After the phenomenal success of Smile (2022) – which took $217.4 million at the box office globally on a budget of $17 million even before residuals such as Blu-ray and streaming – pre-production was already underway on a sequel by April 2023, with filming lasting from January to March 2024.
During interviews between November and December 2022, writer and director Parker Finn had already stated that he had intentionally left portions of the first film ambiguous, with various plotlines unresolved, while expressing interest in exploring those details in a potential sequel. He stated that while additional instalments may explore the backstory of the entity, he would like to keep its mysterious nature intact. Furthermore, he noted that a follow-up film would be notably different from the first, stating that he believed “there is still a lot of interesting stuff to explore in the world of Smile … I’d want to make sure that there’s a new, exciting, fresh way into it that the audience isn’t anticipating. I also want to find some new ways to scare them and unnerve them.”
The Paramount Pictures-Paramount Players-Temple Hill Entertainment co-production stars Naomi Scott, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Miles Gutierrez-Riley.
Plot:
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.
Release:
Smile 2 is scheduled to be released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on October 18, 2024.
“Smile’s breakthrough success is a testament to Parker’s unique and fresh filmmaking, and we are thrilled that he will make Paramount his home,” Paramount CEO Brian Robbins previously said when a multi-movie deal was announced.
“Parker knows how to keep people on the edge of their seat and we’re happy that we get to keep scaring audiences together,” Paramount’s Michael Ireland and Daria Cercek added.
Teaser trailer:
Filming locations:
Principal photography took place from January to March 2024 throughout Hudson Valley, New York, with primary locations in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, Albany and New York City.
Notes:
The first Smile film was an adaptation of Parker Finn’s eleven-minute short film Laura Hasn’t Slept (2019). You can watch it on YouTube in 4K.
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