According to Variety, Paramount has found its creative team for Smile 3, with David Bruckner directing from a screenplay by Nick Antosca.
He is taking over from series creator Parker Finn, who will stay on as a producer alongside Temple Hill. It’s believed that Finn pitched the framework for the third film. Jonathan Fass is attached as executive producer. Finn has recently signed a first look deal with Paramount after the first film’s success and is currently in the process of directing a remake of the 1981 thriller Possession, starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley.
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Many horror fans may recognise Bruckner from his work on the 2022 Hellraiser reboot, as well as The Ritual and The Night House. He’s also got a bunch of exciting projects on the go, including a reboot of The Blob for Warner Bros, The Caretaker (with Sydney Sweeney) and Mice for A24. Antosca, on the other hand, is known for creating the miniseries Cape Fear for Apple as well as Verity, which recently did really well in cinemas.
There are currently no known plot details for Smile 3. The first film followed Sosie Bacon as a therapist haunted by hallucinations after a patient dies in front of her. The sequel, Smile 2, follows Naomi Scott as her pop star character faces disturbing events on tour. It remains unclear if the third film will follow the same mould of a new lead in each story.
The franchise has so far been a massive hit for Paramount, with the first film taking $105 million domestically and $217 million worldwide. Smile 2 did even better, bringing in $139 million globally on a $28 million budget.
