Horror movie “flop” still has fans excited for sequel, thanks to one person

2024 is stacked with horror picks — alongside the news that a “flop” is coming back for more in Smile 2. Fans are still excited for that one, though, and there’s one major reason.

When it first came out in 2022, it’s safe to say that Smile wasn’t winning any best horror movie awards, even if it has grown on fans in the two years since.

Even our own review described it as “a movie that flirts with brilliance, without ever achieving it,” yet that hasn’t stopped it from getting a sequel, due to be released in October.

The cryptic Smile 2 marketing campaign is already underway with a promo for fake pop star Skye Riley’s new music, but fans think the return of director Parker Finn is what’s actually sealing the deal.

“Loved the first one despite a messy third act. Director returning for sequel? I’ll be there with bells on,” one fan posted on Reddit, with a second agreeing, “I’m actually really excited for this. Loved Smile, and I think there’s a ton of potential to expand the world and lore.

“I wanna know if the boyfriend is able to escape the cycle but I also know the director said they’d try to do something unexpected and different for a sequel.”

While the story is changing, the curse remains the same in Smile 2… and that’s about all we know so far. While marketing is now being unrolled, fans are even unsure if lead actress Naomi Scott is playing Riley herself, as her character was initially thought to be called Quinn Parsons.

The new movie is set to be scarier than the first, according to star Lukas Gage. He told Collider: “If you loved the first movie, you’re going to love this one. It’s so terrifying. It’s the first time I’ve ever been on a set where I was genuinely afraid, and I actually got sick to my stomach.

“I don’t say this about a lot of things I do, ’cause I’m the biggest critic ever — I am so proud of it, and I think it’s so scary, and I think [director] Parker Finn did it again, like, he just takes it to the next level and we have some really cool cameos happening in this movie.”

In the meantime, the first Smile movie is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

Don’t forget to check out more new movies streaming this month, alongside the best new true crime and documentaries around.

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