Just in time for spooky season thrills, Paramount Pictures has unveiled the first trailer for Smile 2 – giving horror fans an ominous tease of the evil curse that will torment a new victim when the sequel hits theaters October 18th.
The footage depicts pop star Naomi Scott being slowly driven mad by the sinister, suicide-inducing entity at the core of last year’s breakout psychological horror hit. In the clip, Scott’s character is plagued by disturbing visions of a creepy, rictus-locked smile as the malevolent force seemingly takes possession.
Writer-director Parker Finn returns from the original 2022 film to continue the story of an ancient, malicious demon that relentlessly pursues and psychologically breaks those who witness the gruesome deaths of its previous targets.
Smile 2 picks up after the shocking climax that saw the demon claim Rose Cotter, played by Sosie Bacon in the first installment. Now police officer Joel, reprised by Kyle Gallner, may become the entity’s next tormented prey after bearing witness to Rose’s fiery suicide at the end of the previous film.
The sequel continues exploring the disturbing curse’s pattern of jumping hosts through a chain of smiling figures driving each new victim into a shattered, paranoid state. This culminates in the possessed individual taking their own life in gruesomely theatrical fashion, only for the terrifying cycle to restart with the next unwitting observer.
Joining Scott and Gallner are new cast additions Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo and Miles Gutierrez-Riley. Their roles remain under wraps, though the trailer hints they could become either accomplices or additional victims snared in the demon’s sadistic new killing spree.
After originally planned as a Paramount+ streaming release, the first Smile defied expectations with a $217 million global box office haul – convincing the studio to double down on a theatrical release for this follow-up based on overwhelming audience demand.
If Smile 2 can replicate that success, Finn’s creepy creation could position itself as the next long-running horror franchise – taking the demonic smile from cult favorite to full-blown pop culture phenomenon terrorizing moviegoers for years to come.
The film’s chilling trailer accomplishes its goal of ratcheting up unease and dread through Finn’s expert use of smiles disturbingly rendered more menacing than comforting. By centering on a glamorous pop idol’s mental disintegration, Smile 2 enhances its dangers by juxtaposing the horror against the bright, stylized trappings of celebrity.
It remains to be seen whether this new sequel can live up to its predecessor’s intelligent, nightmare-inducing scares. But based on the eerie first footage alone, one thing is clear – everyone will be keeping a wary eye out for the next person flashing an overly friendly grin when Smile 2 hits theaters this Halloween season.
