Paramount has hired David Bruckner to direct Smile 3, handing the horror franchise to a new filmmaker while its creator steps back from the director’s chair. Variety first reported the move on Wednesday.
Parker Finn wrote and directed the first two Smile films. He will stay on the third film as a producer alongside Temple Hill Entertainment, and he developed the story framework that screenwriter Nick Antosca will build on. Finn is leaving the director’s chair to direct a remake of the 1981 cult film Possession for Paramount, due out in 2027.
No plot details, cast, or release date have been announced for Smile 3. The first film followed a therapist haunted by a grinning supernatural entity, and the 2024 sequel shifted the focus to a pop star played by Naomi Scott. Together the two films have grossed more than $350 million worldwide.
Bruckner arrives with a long horror record. His credits include The Ritual, The Night House, and the 2022 reimagining of Hellraiser, plus segments of the V/H/S anthology series. Antosca’s credits include Verity and the television series Cape Fear.
Source: ScreenRant
