Who has Paramount tapped to helm the next film in the “Smile” franchise while Parker Finn wraps work on his “Possession” remake? Well, Variety has the answer there: “The Night House” director David Bruckner will helm a script by Nick Antosca for “Smile 3.” That makes three upcoming horror projects for Bruckner, as the outlet reports that the director of the 2022 “Hellraiser” remake is also attached to a remake of “The Blob” at Warner Bros. and another titled “Mice” over at A24.
It’s no surprise that Bruckner is in demand right now, as he’s built himself a tidy horror resume over the past two decades; highlights there include 2015’s “Southbound” and 2017’s “The Ritual,” as well as shorts he’s helmed within the “V/H/S” franchise. As for Antosca, he’s coming off co-writing the script for “Verity,” and also has credits on horror-tinged TV fare like “Hannibal,” “Candy,” “Cape Fear,” and “Brand New Cherry Flavor.”
Finn will provide a framework for Antosca’s screenplay and co-produce “Smile 3” alongside Temple Hill, so the franchise creator isn’t entirely out of the picture. Exec producers on the pictures include Jonathan Fass. Plot details for the sequel remain under wraps, but this series is self-explanatory: main characters encounter people infected with a possessed entity that unceasingly torments them until they die. The 2022 original focused on Sosie Bacon‘s therapist, while the 2024 sequel raised the stakes by having Naomi Scott‘s pop singer have to deal with the entity as she starts a tour. Both films were big hits for Paramount, making $217 million and $350 million respectively worldwide.
Finn’s “Possession” remake, starring Margaret Qualley and Callum Turner, hits theaters June 11, 2027. Despite being attached to “The Blob” and “Mice” elsewhere, he’s been on a first-look deal with Paramount since “Smile” was a smash hit, and “Possession” is part of that.
So, who will star as the next tormented protagonist of the “Smile” franchise? Since each installment acts as a standalone film, it doesn’t necessarily need to connect to Bacon or Scott’s characters, but “Smile 2” saw the entity operate at a more significant cultural level, so maybe “Smile 3” will center on a character with global implications. Maybe a politician of some kind? We’ll have to see what Bruckner, Antosca, and Finn have in mind.
