It looks like the entity is gearing up for a third round of trauma, but the architect of the nightmare might be skipping the party. While Dread Central has officially confirmed that Smile 3 is in development, industry insider Jeff Sneider reports that franchise creator Parker Finn likely won’t be returning to the director’s chair.
For a series that feels so specifically “Finn”—defined by its clinical dread and those lingering, uncomfortable close-ups—his absence is a massive deal.
A Box Office Success Story
To understand why Paramount is rushing into a third film, you only have to look at the receipts. The franchise has become a masterclass in eerie terror and a proven money maker.
Produced on a modest $17 million budget, the 2022 original Smile was originally destined for a quiet life on Paramount+. After test audiences practically screamed for a theatrical release, it went on to haul in a staggering $217 million worldwide.
The 2024 Sequel: Smile 2 upped the ante with Naomi Scott as a spiraling pop star. It expanded the lore and proved the curse has legs (and a singing voice), grabbing $138 million globally.
Finn
As for Finn? He’s not exactly hurting for work. He’s currently busy with a high-profile remake of the 1981 cult classic Possession, with Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner reportedly in the mix. Plus, he’s locked into a multi-year “first-look” deal with Paramount, ensuring he’ll be haunting our dreams for years to come—just maybe not with this specific grin.
The Rules of the Game
If you’re new to the franchise, the “Smile Entity” is essentially what happens if the monster from It Follows traded its STI metaphor for a PhD in psychological trauma.
The entity latches onto anyone who witnesses a suicide—specifically, the suicide of the previous host. In the first film, we learned the only way to pass the curse without dying is to murder someone else in front of a witness brutally. Even if you “win,” you lose. The only known survivor, Robert Talley, managed to shake the curse but traded his soul and his freedom to do it.
Whether the entity forces you to take your own life or someone else’s, the house always wins. The final moments of the sequel made it clear: there is a physical, very creepy monster behind that grin, and it has no intention of stopping.
The Big Question
With Smile 3 officially on the horizon, the only mystery left is who will step in to guide the next victim through their final days. Can the franchise maintain its signature “jaw-dropping” tension without its founding father, or is the joke finally on us?
Stream Smile 2 now on Netflix or Paramount+. Here’s a look back at the trailer.
