‘Smile 3’ Taps ‘Hellraiser’ Director David Bruckner Amid Parker Finn’s Absence

Paramount has announced a third Smile film, with David Bruckner set to direct and Nick Antosca writing the screenplay. Parker Finn, who wrote and directed the first two films, is not directing this instalment because he is working on Paramount’s Possession remake, but he developed and pitched the trilogy’s concluding story.

Bruckner’s credits include Hellraiser and The Night House, while Finn will produce with Temple Hill; Jonathan Fass is executive producer. The original Smile starred Sosie Bacon as a doctor haunted by a supernatural entity, and the 2024 sequel followed pop star Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott. The first film was the highest-grossing original horror film of 2022, and the sequel helped the franchise pass $350 million in worldwide earnings.