Parker Finn didn’t want to just make another sequel when he was writing “Smile 2” so he used some real life inspirations when coming up with his pop star tragedy….
Writer and director Parker Finn had no idea that his debut feature film “Smile” would end up as one of the biggest success stories of 2022, which is why he didn’t originally have plans for a sequel.
Initially, Finn saw “Smile” as a standalone story with a definitive beginning and end but the success of the first film — over $217 million at the box office on a $17 million budget — led to Paramount ordering a sequel. After sitting down to think about how he would continue the story, Finn actually tossed out the first few ideas because it all came to him too easy.
It wasn’t until he started researching tragedies surrounding musicians — particularly the infamous “27 club,” a group of notable stars who perished at 27 years old including Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse — that he found an idea that inspired his latest film.
“Smile 2” centers around Skye Riley — a powerhouse performance from Naomi Scott — a pop star one year removed from a tragic car accident where actor boyfriend died and she’s making a comeback following a long recovery from the injuries she suffered along with battling addiction to alcohol and drugs. Just when it looks like Skye is putting the pieces of her life back together again, she witnesses a tragedy that ends with her being tormented by an entity that is always grinning back at her.
“Certainly, Amy Winehouse was on my mind,” Finn said about his inspiration for Skye Riley when speaking to EW. “Britney Spears, of course. We did a little tiny nod in the film; they mention that Skye is 27, which felt apropos to the character.
“Certainly those tragic stories, I was watching everything I could: documentaries, interviews, essays, articles, even Whitney Houston; there were a lot of women I was looking at who get destroyed by this process. I didn’t want to point to anyone in particular; I just wanted to take that, glean it, and filter it into this unique character.”
Perhaps what’s most notable about Finn’s story in “Smile 2” is that Skye being tormented by this evil entity is really just an extension of the tragedies that have already enveloped her whole life and career. Skye’s downfall is largely mirrored both by what’s happening in her real life and the demonic entity haunting her to the point where death seems like the only escape.
Finn obviously saw those parallels when he was penning the script and the story plays out both as a horror movie and a dramatic interpretation of so many sad tales of success that ended in tragedy.
“[‘Smile 2’ is the] exploration of the downfall of this pop star who’s unable to overcome the things that have been put upon her,” Finn said “[The real question at the center of the story is] ‘are we complicit in this?'”
The success of the first film has already translated into the sequel with “Smile 2” opening at No. 1 at the box office with $46 million earned worldwide for its first weekend.
