Smile 2has outdone the original movie with its worldwide opening weekend. TheSmile 2releasecomes almost exactly two years after the original 2022 movie became the No. 1 horror release of the year worldwide, grossing $217.4 million against its slim $17 million budget. For the sequel, writer-director Parker Finn has returned to helm a story about pop star Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) becoming cursed by the franchise’s sinister smiling entity. The cast also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, and Ray Nicholson.
PerVariety, as of Sunday morning, the global opening weekend ofSmile 2is projected to hit a three-day total of $46 million. This comes from an even split of $23 million at the domestic box office and $23 million in international markets. This is about even with the original 2022 hit, though it has pulled ahead in every market, as the original grossed $22.6 million in North America and $36.5 million worldwide.
What This Means For Smile 2
Its Increased Budget Changes The Math Somewhat
The sequel about the return of theSmilecurseison track to become a hit just like the original. If it maintains its current lead, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that the 2024 horror movie could leg out to a worldwide gross of $274 million or more. This would see it outgrossA Quiet Place: Day One($261.8 million) to become the second highest-grossing horror movie of the year behindAlien: Romulus($350.4 million).
Both of those 2024 horror hits are part of even larger franchises thanSmile, withDay Onebeing the thirdQuiet Placemovie andRomulusbeing the ninthAlienmovie.
Because a movie typically needs to earn two and a half times its budget in order to turn a profit, thislikely places the break-even point forSmile 2at about $70 million or more. It should be able to clear that total with ease, though it may not become a hit at the level of the original in terms of return on investment. The movie cost $28 million, which is an $11 million increase from the price tag of the original 2022 movie. In order to have the same level of success, it would have to earn $358 million.
Our Take On The Smile 2 Debut
The Movie’s Reception Could Boost Its Prospects
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how high the new movie can climb by the end of its run. Itcould receive a strong word-of-mouth boost, asSmile 2reviewshave earned it matching 83% Rotten Tomatoes scores from both critics and audiences, surpassing the original movie’s 80% and 77% scores. Should that be the case and should it avoid the horror genre’s typically harsh week 2 drop (the original dropped a miraculously low 18%), it could continue to climb at an unprecedented level.
Smile 2
Cast
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
