It’s official: Smile 3 is a go at Paramount, but without franchise creator Parker Finn.
According to Variety, David Bruckner and Nick Antosca have been hired to direct and write Smile 3, respectively. They’re taking over for Parker Finn, who created the horror series and will remain involved as a producer. Finn is currently busy directing a remake of the 1981 supernatural thriller Possession, starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley, that Paramount will release next year.
Bruckner’s directorial credits include The Ritual (2017), The Night House (2020), and Hellraiser (2022). Smile 3 joins a long list of projects Bruckner is currently attached to, such as Warner Bros.’ reboot of The Blob, Universal’s adaptation of The Caretaker starring Sydney Sweeney, and A24’s Mice.
Antosca is best known for creating the Apple TV limited series Cape Fear and co-creating Hulu’s The Act. He also wrote Antlers and Verity.
Plot details for the third Smile movie haven’t been revealed, although Finn pitched the framework for the horror sequel. The first film, released in 2022, stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist who becomes haunted by hallucinations after witnessing a patient die. In the second, released in 2024, Naomi Scott plays a pop singer who begins to experience a series of disturbing events as she embarks on tour.
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