Director Parker Finn was determined to contain the ‘Smile‘ in the first installment, with no plans for a sequel. However, reviewing the ‘Smile’ staggering success, the studio was willing to explore the psychological pathogen further. Fresh from its release, ‘Smile 2‘ continues the crippling horror legacy of the 2022 film.
However, this time Parker not only terrifies viewers with the bloody suicides. The director makes them feel a pinch of guilt as the plot explores celebrity suffering with strangling public surveillance. Here are the celebrity tragedies that inspired Parker Finn to write ‘Smile 2’.
“Did We Do This To Skye?”: Parker Finn Explores The Cause Behind Celebrity Suffering
Behind the bright flash of Hollywood glam lies the darkest shadows of many celebrity tragedies. ‘Smile 2’ explores the struggles of pop star, Skye Riley as she tries to make a comeback after a bout with substance abuse. Director Parker Finn moves beyond the limits of horror in the sequel as he delves into the involvement of the public and media in celebrity suffering.
Talking with Entertainment Weekly Finn asks, “I wanted to raise the question, did we do this to Skye? By us coming back for a Smile 2, have we done this to her?”
Finn revealed that he wanted to come up with a novel idea for the sequel. He said, “When I started thinking about ideas, early on, any of the ideas that started coming to me in the first month I was thinking about it, I threw them away.” He continued, ” If I’m coming up with these too quickly, they’re too obvious; it’s too expected. I wanted to push for something where people would be like, ‘I can’t believe this is where Smile went.'”
The 27 Club Inspired Parker Finn To Write ‘Smile 2’
Parker Finn revealed that many celebrity tragedies especially from the 27 Club inspired the director for Skye Riley’s character. The 27 Club is an informal list of popular singers, actors, and celebrities who passed away at the age of 27 mostly due to substance abuse.
Finn states, “Certainly, Amy Winehouse was on my mind. 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.” The tragedy of singer Amy Winehouse reverberated through the world. She died of alcohol poisoning in 2011.
In case you missed it: ‘Smile’ Ending Explained: Did Rose Break The Curse And Survive?
Finn continued, “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.” The director did not want to point fingers, ” I just wanted to take that, glean it, and filter it into this unique character.”
‘Smile 2’ was released in cinemas on October 18.
