‘Sky’s The Limit’: Smile 2 Director On The Horror Franchise’s Future
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The horror genre has been thriving for years now, to the delight of fans. While some of the best horror movies have returned to theater with new sequels, we've also got a number of thrilling new properties. Chief among them is Parker's Finn's Smile, with the sequel winning at the box office upon its release. And Finn recently spoke about the burgeoning franchise's history, saying "the sky's the limit."
Following Smile 2's ending, moviegoers are wondering if more upcoming horror movies from the spooky franchise are coming. While we wait for information from the studio, Finn spoke to GamesRadar about adding more entires to the story. In his words:
I think there are so many different, interesting directions the world of Smile can take, different roads it can go down. Right now I’m very excited to see how audiences respond to Smile 2 and if we are lucky with how audiences can connect with and embrace the film, I think the sky’s the limit.
Well that certainly sounds hopeful. Parker Finn seems to think that the Smile franchise is pretty much limitless, thanks to how many different types of stories. Add in how audiences have gone to theaters to see the festive sequel during Halloween season, and it definitely feels like another chapter could be green lit. Fingers crossed it happens sooner rather than later.
The original Smile movie (which is streaming with a Hulu subscription) came out in 2022, and instantly became an iconic aspect of the horror genre. Not only because the movie was thrilling, but because Smile's viral marketing was a creepy way that it invaded televised events.
We'll have to wait and see more movies with that creepy smile end up being shot and released in theaters. But it does seem hopeful, especially considering how the horror genre is largely built on long-running franchises.
On top of Smile's sequel winning at the box office upon its release, the movie has also been doing very well critically. CinemaBlend's Smile 2 review was a bonafide rave, praising it as the genre's best surprise for the year. Other critics also praised Smile 2, highlighting the performance of leading lady Naomi Scott.
The evil presence of the Smile franchise is passed from person to person, after they witness someone dying from it. And as such, it's a story that can be told seemingly countless times, with the circumstances changing based around each movie's protagonist. Case in point: the original movie followed a regular person, while the sequel was centered around a pop star.
Smile 2 is in theaters now and raking in the dough. While we wait for news about another possible sequel, be sure to check out the 2025 movie release dates.