A third installment is currently in development, promising to delve even deeper into the "Smile Entity's" lineage.

The Grin That Won't Go Away: Why Smile (2022) Still Haunts Our Screens

Critics often compare the film's relentless sense of dread to modern classics like It Follows and The Ring .

Director Parker Finn originally created a short film titled Laura Hasn't Slept . Its success at festivals like SXSW led Paramount to greenlight the full-length feature.

A sequel starring Naomi Scott as a pop star haunted by the entity was released in October 2024.