I wasn’t much of a “Smile” fan to begin with, so it was a pleasant surprise to be, mostly, taken by the inventive debauchery of “Smile 2,” which upped the ante with a slightly bigger budget and more creatively inspired choices. Naomi Scott in the lead role was aces. The sequel was bigger, better, and more ambitious.
Now comes word that “Smile 3” is in the works, but apparently franchise creator and director Parker Finn might not return to direct the film — that’s according to Jeff Sneider, who responded to a “Smile 3” report, and which Dread Central then confirmed.
“Smile” (2022) had a budget of $17M and somehow managed to gross $217M worldwide. It’s clear the budget for “Smile 2” was much higher than $17M, but despite some clunky marketing on the part of Paramount, it still managed to earn $137M worldwide. These films were made for cheap, and there was no reason to believe that another one wouldn’t get made.
Finn, a talented and in-demand filmmaker, is currently working on a remake of the 1981 film “Possession,” with Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner in talks to star. Paramount recently won the bidding war for the project. Finn also signed a multi‑year, first‑look deal with Paramount that covers writing, producing, and directing potential horror films.