David Bruckner to Direct 'Smile 3' as Franchise Creator Parker Finn Moves to 'Possession' Remake

Paramount is moving forward with a third Smile film. The studio has hired David Bruckner to direct and Nick Antosca to write the screenplay, according to Variety.

The pair take over from Parker Finn, who created the horror series. Finn will remain involved as a producer alongside Temple Hill, and he pitched the framework for the third installment. Jonathan Fass will serve as executive producer.

Bruckner is known for directing the 2022 Hellraiser reboot, the 2017 psychological thriller The Ritual and the 2020 supernatural horror film The Night House. He is in high demand at the moment. He is writing and developing a reboot of the sci-fi horror classic The Blob for Warner Bros., and he is attached to Universal's adaptation of The Caretaker, which stars Sydney Sweeney. He is also set to direct Mice for A24.

Antosca created Apple's miniseries Cape Fear and co-created Hulu's The Act. His film writing credits include the 2021 movie Antlers and Verity, the most recent adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel.

Plot details for Smile 3 have not been revealed. In the first film, Sosie Bacon plays a therapist who is haunted by hallucinations after she watches a patient die. In the second, Naomi Scott plays a pop singer who experiences a series of disturbing events while on tour. Because each entry has worked as a standalone sequel with its own story and new stars, it is unclear who will appear in the third film.

Finn wrote and directed both Smile, released in 2022, and Smile 2, released in 2024. The original was commissioned for streaming before the studio shifted to a theatrical release, and it became a sleeper hit with $105 million domestically and $217 million worldwide. The sequel did not match that total but still proved a commercial success, earning $69 million domestically and $139 million globally against a modest $28 million budget. Across the franchise, Smile films have grossed more than $350 million worldwide.

Even though Finn is not leading Smile 3, he continues to work closely with Paramount. He signed a first-look deal with the studio after the first Smile succeeded in theaters. His next project is a remake of the 1981 supernatural thriller Possession, starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley. That film is scheduled for release on June 11, 2027.