Paramount is moving ahead with Smile 3, hiring David Bruckner to direct and Nick Antosca to write the screenplay. Franchise creator Parker Finn, who wrote and directed the first two instalments, will step back from directing but remain involved as a producer alongside Temple Hill. Jonathan Fass is executive producing.
The move looks less like a changing of the guard than a talent rotation. Finn pitched the framework for the third film, and Bruckner arrives with a horror resume that includes Hellraiser, The Ritual and The Night House. Antosca’s credits span Apple’s Cape Fear, Hulu’s The Act, Antlers and Verity.
Why the numbers make this franchise valuable
The first Smile was originally commissioned for streaming before Paramount pivoted it to a theatrical release. That decision turned it into a sleeper hit: $105 million domestically and $217 million worldwide.
The sequel did not match the original’s gross, but it was a commercial win against a modest budget. Smile 2 starred Naomi Scott as a pop singer and earned $69 million domestically and $139 million globally off a reported $28 million budget.
- Smile: $105 million domestic, $217 million worldwide.
- Smile 2: $69 million domestic, $139 million worldwide, $28 million budget.
- Franchise total: over $350 million worldwide.
The marketing logic of a director swap
Because each Smile film works as a standalone sequel with a separate story and new cast, Paramount can change the creative team without forcing audiences to track serialized lore. That matters for marketers: Smile 3 can be sold as a fresh event, not as episode three of a continuing story.
Keeping Finn as producer preserves the tone and brand map while he moves to another Paramount project. He has a first-look deal with the studio and is directing a remake of Possession starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley, scheduled for June 11, 2027.
What this means for the screen business
For entertainment planners, the Smile playbook is a reminder that mid-budget horror can deliver outsized return when the theatrical strategy is right. The first film’s pivot from streaming to cinemas is the clearest example: a direct-to-platform plan became a $217 million global release.
Plot details and casting for Smile 3 have not been announced. The next signal to watch is how Paramount positions the release window and whether the new creative team keeps the franchise’s cost discipline.
Source: Variety
