The nightmare is far from over. Paramount is expanding its chilling Smile universe with a third installment, bringing Hellraiser and The Night House director David Bruckner on board to take the franchise in a terrifying new direction.
Horror fans, consider this your warning… the smile is coming back. Following the chilling success of Smile and its equally unsettling sequel, Smile 2, Paramount is moving forward with Smile 3, officially extending one of modern horror’s most recognizable supernatural franchises.
But this next chapter will come with a major creative change. While filmmaker Parker Finn established the franchise’s unsettling identity through the first two installments, he will not be returning to the director’s chair. According to an exclusive report from Variety, David Bruckner has been tapped to direct the upcoming sequel, bringing his experience with atmospheric horror and psychologically disturbing storytelling into the expanding universe. Additionally, the screenplay will be written by Nick Antosca, creator of Apple TV’s Cape Fear, with Jonathan Fass attached as executive producer.
A Horror Franchise That Knows How To Get Under Your Skin
Since its arrival in 2022, Smile has become one of the defining horror franchises of the decade. Written and directed by Finn, the original film introduced audiences to Rose Cotter, played by Sosie Bacon, a therapist whose life takes a terrifying turn after witnessing a patient’s disturbing death.
What follows is a relentless psychological nightmare involving an unexplained curse, increasingly disturbing encounters, and an eerie smile that signals something far more sinister than it initially appears. The film’s combination of psychological tension, supernatural horror, and deeply unsettling imagery resonated with audiences, helping establish Smile as a major theatrical success.
Two years later, Finn expanded the mythology with Smile 2, shifting the perspective to pop superstar Skye Riley, portrayed by Naomi Scott. As Skye prepares for a major career comeback, she finds herself caught in an increasingly disturbing series of events that threaten her public image, personal relationships, and grip on reality.
Both films helped establish a distinctive identity for the franchise, blending psychological breakdowns with supernatural terror while keeping audiences questioning what is real and what is part of the curse. With more than $350 million in combined worldwide box office revenue, the first two films have demonstrated that the Smile phenomenon has plenty of life left in it.
David Bruckner Takes Over The Director’s Chair
While Parker Finn’s creative direction helped make Smile a recognizable name in modern horror, David Bruckner brings an impressive genre résumé of his own. Bruckner previously directed the 2017 supernatural horror film The Ritual, the psychological thriller The Night House, and the 2022 reimagining of Hellraiser. His work frequently explores the relationship between psychological vulnerability, supernatural forces, and the fear of confronting something that cannot easily be explained.
His involvement presents an intriguing opportunity for the franchise. Rather than simply repeating the formula established by Finn, Bruckner could bring a different visual language and atmosphere to the next installment while continuing to build upon the mythology audiences have come to recognize.
The filmmaker also has several other high-profile horror projects in development. He has been attached to Warner Bros.’ remake of The Blob and Universal’s adaptation of The Caretaker, which is set to star Sydney Sweeney. With multiple projects positioning him within the genre’s next wave of filmmakers, Bruckner’s arrival on Smile 3 is certainly worth watching.
Nick Antosca Joins the Nightmare
Another notable addition is Nick Antosca, who will handle the screenplay for the third installment. Known for his work across television and horror storytelling, Antosca brings experience developing unsettling narratives and characters operating in increasingly disturbing circumstances. His involvement adds another creative voice to a franchise that has built its identity around psychological uncertainty and supernatural consequences.
With Bruckner directing and Antosca writing, Smile 3 is assembling a creative team capable of bringing a fresh perspective to the franchise while preserving the unsettling atmosphere that made the first two films successful.
The Next Smile Could Be The Most Terrifying Yet
One of the franchise’s greatest strengths has been its ability to reinvent its central nightmare through different characters and circumstances. Rose Cotter and Skye Riley offered two very different perspectives on the same terrifying phenomenon, leaving plenty of possibilities for where the story could go next.
With a new director and screenwriter entering the picture, questions surrounding the curse, its mythology, and who might become its next target are already beginning to take shape.
Could the next installment introduce an entirely new character, revisit someone connected to the previous films, or expand the mythology in a way audiences haven’t anticipated? Those details remain under wraps, but the creative transition alone gives the sequel an interesting new direction.
Modern horror continues to deliver ambitious theatrical experiences, and the Smile franchise has firmly established itself as part of that conversation. Now, with David Bruckner stepping into the director’s chair, Paramount is preparing to give audiences another reason to keep the lights on. The smile is returning, but the only question is who will be forced to wear it next.
