Back in fall 2022, the movie world was blissfully surprised by the arrival of Parker Finn's Smile. While it was originally planned to be a streaming release exclusive for Paramount+, the film's distribution plans were pivoted, and the studio decided to drop it in theaters just in time for spooky season. It turned out to be a massive hit, wowing movie-goers and ultimately earning over $200 million worldwide.
Naturally, it didn't take long at all for Paramount to announce plans for a Smile 2, with Parker Finn back writing and directing, and while the project has been ensconced in secrecy since that announcement, we learned a whole lot more about the film today thanks to footage that premiered at CinemaCon 2024.
Paramount held its presentation this morning at the annual convention for exhibitors in Las Vegas, and in addition to announcing news about some major upcoming projects (including a GI Joe/Transformers crossover and a new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie), the studio provided the audience in the The Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace with an exciting first look at Smile 2. In addition to featuring some serious scares, the footage also revealed some key details about the plot.
It was previously announced that Aladdin's Naomi Scott is playing the lead of Smile 2, and today we learned that she will be portraying a popular singer who ends up being targeted by the grinning entity that plagued Sosie Bacon's Rose Cotter in the previous film. The story will find the protagonist on tour performing lavish and colorful concerts reminiscent of a Lady Gaga show when she finds herself facing the growing movie series' signature horror.
In one scene, she is in her dressing room alone when a knock at the door breaks the silence. She inquisitively says, "Hello?" and approaches the door, but before she can reach it, the thing swings open and a character played by Lukas Gage comes storming in, scaring her. He is clearly distressed and seemingly choking, and when he falls to the floor, the pop star tries to help him. It's too late though – and the nightmare then begins. The mystery man seems to pass away, but a second after his eyes go blank, they seem to come awake again... and then a creepy smile stretches across his face.
From there, there were a number of freaky images that quickly splashed across the screen, including Naomi Scott on a stage walking around a bunch of figures cloaked in white sheets and smacking her face and leaving a bloody handprint. My favorite bit, however, was a quick shot of a narrow, mirrored hallway that was filled with grinning people getting closer and closer to the camera.
The Smile 2 CinemaCon footage concluded with Naomi Scott's character being approached by a little girl. Thinking that the child is a fan, she compliments her shirt and asks if she wants her to sign it, but the kid doesn't say a word; she just stands there. Scott leans down with a Sharpie and applies her signature, but the girl doesn't move and just smiles at her.
The first look at Smile 2 was definitely more about aesthetic than story – as its not clear yet how the sequel will build on what happened in the first movie and how the journey of the new protagonist will differ from what Rose Cotter experienced. That being said, one can definitely see how the pop star angle will be exciting, as celebrities have people staring and smiling at them all the time... but in this case, it won't just be folks who are star-struck and left mute in front of an artist they love. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will at some point be a concert sequence where Naomi Scott's character looks out into a crowded arena and just sees hundreds of people creepily grinning at her.
With Smile 2 set to arrive in theaters this fall (just in time for Halloween 2024!), it hopefully won't be too long before the first trailer for the film arrives online and in theaters – but fans for now will have to show some patience for footage. Based on this early look, however, it appears that few will be left disappointed by what Parker Finn has in store with his follow-up feature.
Also starring Rosemarie DeWitt and Smile star Kyle Galler in addition to the aforementioned Naomi Scott and Lukas Gage, Smile 2 is presently scheduled to arrive in theaters everywhere on October 18. Be on the lookout for more updates about the project in the coming months here on CinemaBlend, and to learn about all of the scary features set to be released in the coming months, check out our Upcoming Horror Movies guide.
