The Most Terrifying Horror Franchise of the Decade Officially Returns Next Month
The Smile horror franchise is returning next month with Any Given Smile, a five-issue prequel comic set in 1995. Published by IDW, the series expands the fictional curse’s history beyond the two films, placing its supernatural horror within the high-pressure world of professional American football.
The first issue, due on 23 September, is written by Stephanie Williams and illustrated by Pablo Collar, with colours by Triona Farrell and lettering by Ariana Maher. Set in St Augustine, Florida, it follows backup quarterback Maximillian Dupree before a major championship game, while gambling debts, unexplained deaths and disturbing visions draw players and a sports journalist into the entity’s influence.
- Smile returns through a 1995-set prequel comic.
- The story combines football pressure with supernatural horror.
- Any Given Smile #1 arrives on 23 September.
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Smile is a supernatural horror series centred on a curse that passes from person to person after they witness a violent death. Those affected begin seeing people with unnaturally fixed smiles and experience frightening visions, while others may not believe what they are going through.
The franchise began with the 2022 film Smile, followed by Smile 2 in 2024. Both films follow people trying to understand and escape the curse as it spreads through their personal and professional lives.
The new comic is set before the events of the films and explores an earlier case in the United States. By placing the story around a professional American football team, it brings the curse into a setting shaped by competition, public pressure and gambling.