Update: Are pop stars the new final girl? Between Lady Raven in M. Knight Shyamalan’s Trap and Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley in Parker Finn’s Smile 2, sirens of the stage are making significant waves in the horror genre. Unfortunately for Skye, today’s Smile 2 trailer finds the past catching up with her, making her the target of a parasitic curse that threatens her sanity and safety, just as her world tour is about to kick off.

In Parker Finn’s Smile 2 trailer, Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) encounters a bizarre and deadly phenomenon concerning people around her flashing a gruesome smile as death comes knocking at her door. With seemingly nowhere to run, Skye enlists the help of a stranger with knowledge about the Smile, who says she must die to trick the “virus” from giving the pop star her final curtain call.

Original Article: In the middle of the pandemic, there was a massive push towards making streaming films. Paramount Plus was one of the many studios that opted to make movies specially tailored for their service. However, once the pandemic eased and people started returning to theatres, some movies that tested particularly well in early screenings were given theatrical releases.

The biggest success story to emerge from the streaming-to-theatrical pivot was Smile by director Parker Finn. A low-budget horror flick with a great hook, it made an astonishing $217 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. Now, the movie’s getting a sequel which expands the central premise, that a person is cursed by a supernatural entity to commit suicide (after flashing a demonic smile). This time, a pop star in the vein of Taylor Swift (played by rising star Naomi Scott) is passed the curse, with the first film’s Kyle Gallner co-starring. 

With the sequel due to be released on October 18th, the studio’s all set to release an all-new trailer, which drops tomorrow. Until then, to whet your appetite, Paramount’s put out an all-new poster:

Here’s the official Smile 2 synopsis: 

“About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.”

For more from “Skye Riley,” you can follow her on Instagram right here. Hopefully, Smile 2 will live up to the original, which I thought was a pretty nifty little sleeper hit and a total blast to watch with a raucous horror audience. With a prime release date just before Halloween, I expect this one to be a big hit (although the two-hour-plus running time seems excessive). 

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