Halloween is just around the corner, and the long-awaited horror sequel Smile 2 is ready to hit theaters.
Following the success of the original version, which grossed $200 million worldwide, “Smile 2” continues the eerie story of a deadly curse inherited after witnessing someone’s death. The film follows pop superstar Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott, as she grapples with the pressures of fame, a traumatic past, and the madness of a curse.
“She’s been through a lot of things that I think people can relate to in a context that is very unrelatable,” Scott said. “I think she feels alone. She feels like people are paying attention to her and not seeing her.”
Director Parker Finn talked about how his childhood in the Midwest shaped his love of horror.
“I was a movie-obsessed kid growing up in a dark part of Northeast Ohio. It always feels like Halloween over there,” Finn said.
Skye’s relationship with her mother, played by Rosemarie DeWitt, is layered thanks to Finn’s script.
“Parker wrote this really subtle script that played like a drama. It was really cleverly laid out,” DeWitt said.
Ray Nicholson, son of legendary actor Jack Nicholson, plays Skye’s lover Paul Hudson.
In one memorable moment, his creepy grin in the film was compared to his father’s famous performance in The Shining. When asked if his father gave him any advice regarding the genre, Nicholson replied, “My dad and I don’t really talk about acting…I think it’s important for me to find my own path.”
She added: “My mother says, ‘Ray, you were such a beautiful boy, but you’re starting to look like your father.'”
Mr. Finn also talked about the importance of sound in Smile 2.
“I like to avoid what you would think of as a typical horror sound…I want it to feel fresh and different and stick with you,” he said.
“When you go to the theater to see a horror movie, it’s a communal experience,” Nicholson said. “You don’t have to be scared to be alone.”
“Smile 2” is distributed by Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of CBS’ parent company Paramount Global. “Smile 2” will be released in theaters on October 18th.
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