Smile 2 trailer confirms return of major character

The Smile 2 trailer has arrived and it’s as sinister as you’d expect, while also confirming the return of a major character from the first movie.

Parker Finn’s 2022 horror movie turned out to be a hit, earning $217.4 million against a $17 million budget and subsequently creeping audiences out with its simple yet effective premise.

Finn is returning to helm the follow-up, Smile 2, which sees pop star Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott, becoming the next victim of the smile curse.

This is the focus of the newly released trailer, which Paramount Pictures dropped on June 18. Check it out below:

In the clip, Scott’s singer is seen performing before taking a moment to chill backstage. However, a man, played by Lukas Gage, runs in screaming, telling an unseen threat to get away from him.

Given what happened in the first movie, we know what happens next. A sinister smile breaks out across the man’s face before he takes his own life with a barbell weight, meaning Parsons now has the curse.

Sure enough, the following clips show her being stalked by the smiling entity as she slowly loses her mind. But there’s another reveal in the Smile 2 trailer: Kyle Gallner’s Joel.

In the first movie, Joel was the police officer who helped Rose (Sosie Bacon) after she fell victim to the curse. Right at the end of the film, he witnessed her killing herself, making him the next victim.

Although it’s confirmed Joel will be returning for Smile 2, it’s not yet known whether he’ll shake the curse. But the trailer appears to show he doesn’t have an easy ride ahead.

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it-moment, the new movie’s trailer shows him injured, running from a house and into an oncoming car.

The trailer has horror fans excited, with one writing on YouTube, “I hope we find the smile demon’s name. My guess his name is Agares.”

“Was that Joel?” asked another, to which a third replied, “Yep! I think this gonna be the opening of that sequel, right after the ending of the first movie.”

A fourth chimed in, “This has been the most creative horror movie franchise we’ve had since Insidious in terms of ideas. If we get more hints at the demons true purpose, name and nature that would be awesome.”

Smile 2 drops in theaters on October 18, 2024. Until then, check out our ranking of In a Violent Nature’s grisliest scenes. You can also read everything we know about Terrifier 3, Longlegs, and MaXXXine.