The horror genre has a new box-office king this weekend, as Smile 2 haunts theaters with a strong debut. The film grossed $9.4 million on its opening Friday, including over $2 million from previews, setting it on track for an estimated $23 million Friday-to-Sunday total. This figure edges out the first Smile movie's $22.6 million debut in September, proving that audiences are still grinning ear to ear for more frights.
Directed by Parker Finn, who returns to helm the sequel, Smile 2 expands on the terror that made its predecessor a sleeper hit. With a slightly higher budget of $28 million, up from the original's $17 million, the film stars Naomi Scott as a troubled pop star tormented by a malevolent spirit. The cast also includes Lukas Gage, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley, delivering performances that complement the film's mix of psychological and supernatural horror.
The first Smile surprised everyone by grossing over $217 million worldwide, and while it's too early to predict if the sequel will match that figure, the initial momentum is promising. Critics have noted that the sequel retains much of the original's unsettling atmosphere while making slight improvements, as reflected in its B CinemaScore—just a notch above the first film's B-. Audience reception suggests that Smile 2 has succeeded in capturing the essence of the original while refining its formula for scares.
Box-Office Landscape and Competition
While Smile 2 leads the box-office this weekend, The Wild Robot remains a strong competitor, holding the second spot with $10.7 million in its fourth week and crossing the $100 million domestic threshold. Interestingly, its availability on PVOD hasn't slowed its theatrical run, dropping only 24% in its fourth weekend.
Other films rounding out the top five include Terrifier 3, which grossed $9.8 million, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with $5 million, and We Live in Time at $4.3 million. Notably, Joker: Folie à Deux fell to sixth place, dropping 68% to $2.2 million, showing that even the most anticipated titles can lose steam quickly.
Meanwhile, Sean Baker's indie release Anora saw success on a much smaller scale, achieving an impressive per-theater average of $108,000 across five screens.
A Deeper Look: What Makes “Smile 2” Work?
The sequel's appeal seems rooted in its combination of familiar scares and new narrative twists. By choosing to focus on a character with a compelling backstory and deeper trauma, the film adds an emotional layer that the first installment only touched upon. Parker Finn's direction continues to masterfully balance tension with unexpected moments of horror, creating an atmosphere that keeps viewers on edge.
Smile 2 maintains the unsettling charm of the original while offering a fresh narrative that explores deeper psychological horror. Although it doesn't drastically innovate within the genre, it delivers enough suspense and well-crafted scares to satisfy fans of the first film and newcomers alike.
What do you think makes a horror sequel successful? Can Smile 2 surpass the original in terms of long-term box-office success and audience impact?
