After a great performance by Terrifier 3 last week, Paramount’s more mainstream horror movie, Smile 2, had an excellent opening weekend. The sequel film received good reviews and an even better response from the audience, beating its predecessor at the box office in important ways.
The movie topped the domestic charts with about $23 million and made another $23 million from international markets, giving it a total global debut of $46 million.
Smile 2 was produced on a budget of under $30 million and is a direct follow-up to the original hit film from 2022. Both movies were directed by Parker Finn. The first Smile made over $215 million worldwide, thanks to its positive reception and a creative marketing campaign.
The original movie cost about $17 million to produce. Its success showed Paramount that it might have a new horror franchise after its success with A Quiet Place by John Krasinski.
How Smile 2 is Reviving Interest in Horror Films This Year
The sequel has started strong with a solid B CinemaScore from audiences on opening day. This is a slight improvement over the first film’s B- grade and puts Smile 2 in a good position among horror films, which often do not get high ratings from audiences.
Right now, the movie has a “fresh” 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is better than the first film’s 80% score. Jeff Ewing from Collider praised Smile 2 as “an exceptional sequel that improves almost every aspect of the original.”
Despite Smile 2’s success, 2024 has not been very kind to the horror genre. Several big studio titles have not done well at the box office.
Movies like Abigail, Imaginary, Night Swim, and The First Omen all failed to make more than $35 million in the U.S. Only a few titles can be seen as true hits. For example, Longlegs managed to earn a total of $74 million domestically, while Terrifier 3 has already made nearly 20 times its $2 million budget.
Smile 2 revisits themes from the first film but features a new cast that includes Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Raúl Castillo, Dylan Gelula, and Ray Nicholson, along with returning actor Kyle Gallner. The inclusion of fresh faces may have helped attract a wider audience while still keeping familiar elements from the original film.
Smile 2 is proving to be a strong addition to the horror genre in 2024, which has seen some disappointing films. With positive audience reactions and solid box office numbers, it appears that the film is well on its way to becoming a fan favorite.
The positive reception and strong start suggest that horror fans are ready for more, and Smile 2 is setting the stage for potential future installments. As the horror show changes, it will be interesting to see how Smile 2 influences upcoming horror films and whether it can help revitalize interest in the genre.
