Warning: This article contains spoilers for Smile
Kyle Gallner, who starred in the film Smile, talks about possibly coming back in a follow-up. The popular horror movie, which debuted on September 30, centers on Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), a patient of hers who commits suicide in her presence, cursing her with bizarre visions of a smiling entity that assumes the forms of other people. In the film’s ominous conclusion, Gallner plays Joel, her ex-policeman boyfriend who gradually comes to believe that what she is seeing is real.
Recently, SlashFilm had the chance to talk with Gallner about Smile’s success. He admitted that while he is not aware of any discussions regarding a potential sequel, he would be “more than happy to come in and play” if asked to return as Joel. He also thought about where a Smile 2 might go. Below is his complete quote:
“I think it would be just about pushing it further and exploring further. I mean, you have the whole potential murder thing that breaks the curse. Maybe something goes on with that.”
“Maybe Joel f** ices somebody and then decides he’s going to try to help that person and figure out the curse. I don’t know. There’s a bunch of different ways it can go. That’s why I’m not writing it, because I don’t have that skill set to continue this on.”
“I think it could be fun to play with. And if they want me back as Joel to jump into that sandbox, I’m more than happy to come in and play. How was that for a non-answer?”
Will There Be A Sequel To Smile?
No information regarding the possibility of a Smile sequel has been released to date. But thanks to strong word-of-mouth and a horror-hungry audience that also supported the success of Scream, X, Pearl, & Barbarian throughout the year, the movie has become a huge global hit. In addition to earning $210.3 million globally, the movie also has a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the highest-grossing horror movie of 2022.
Given everything, it would be surprising if producers didn’t approve a sequel as soon as possible. However, everyone associated with the movie has either denied knowing about Smile 2 coming out or has been coy. In a recent interview, Smile director Parker Finn exhibited a similar reserve, but he did hint that “definitely things inside of the film remain purposefully unexplored.” If he could find a way to create a sequel without simply repeating the same material, he continued, he would be interested in doing it. Fortunately, there are methods for doing that.
Each Story’s Potential For A Smile
Gallner made a wise prediction about the direction Smile 2 might take. The obvious solution, should the writers decide to deviate from Joel’s cliffhanger ending, would be to follow the example set by Final Destination, continuously introducing new characters to the curse and having them discover what is happening to them. The way Joel ends Smile is the ideal setup for a sequel in which he is in a better position than Rose and may be able to defeat the monster, either by, as he mentions, passing the curse on and working with the new victim, or by adopting a more charitable stance and trying to use his remaining time to end the curse without passing it on, possibly while documenting his experience in case anyone else should be unintentionally affected.
Source: SlashFilm