You can watch the first seven minutes of Smile 2 online, but only if you smile

With Smile 2 still making millions in cinemas, the first seven minutes of the horror movie are now available to watch online – but only if you smile throughout.

The original Smile movie was a box office phenomenon, grossing $217 million from a budget of just $17 million. That was down to a terrifying plot about an evil entity being passed from person to person, and multiple memorable scares courtesy of writer-director Parker Finn.

But the success of Smile 1 was also driven by an ingenious marketing campaign in which ‘Smilers’ appeared in crowds at big sporting events, where they promptly went viral.

Smile 2 is posting similarly impressive numbers, cruising past the $100 million mark over the weekend thanks to more clever marketing. While a new promotional campaign is generating further interest in the film, thanks to a twisted hook.

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures has posted the first seven minutes of Smile 2 online. But fans can only watch the footage if they smile for all seven of those minutes.

First you need to click through to the dedicated site, enter your age to prove you are old enough to watch, and make sure your webcam is enabled.

The movie then starts, but stops every time you stop smiling. Which isn’t helped by the fact that you appear in a small window in the corner of the screen, looking like a lunatic while grinning at the horror unfolding in those first few minutes.

Paramount Pictures

I gave it a go, and just about made it to the end of the sequence, but struggled through the last couple of minutes when the muscles in my cheeks felt like they were seizing up.

But it was fun trying, I ultimately made it to the title card, and now I need to see the rest of the movie, meaning the promotion has done its job.

Smile 2 is in cinemas now. For more on the movie, here’s why Smile 2 has the scariest ending of any horror movie this year, plus what star Naomi Scott thinks of those final scenes.