Smile’s 4-year anniversary brings a sequel comparison. Both films were written and directed by Parker Finn, with Naomi Scott starring in the 2024 follow-up.
The original opened on September 30, 2022, with Sosie Bacon playing Dr. Rose Cotter, a psychiatrist haunted by a supernatural entity after witnessing a disturbing incident involving a patient. It was originally set up as a Paramount+ streaming release before test screenings went “crazy well,” per Paramount film chief Brian Robbins, and the studio pivoted it to theaters. Made for $17 million, it opened at #1 domestic with roughly $22.6 million from 3,650 theaters and went on to earn more than $217 million worldwide.
Smile 2 brought Finn back as writer and director, anchored by Naomi Scott’s riveting performance as pop star Skye Riley, and grossed $138.1 million worldwide.
