Warning: contains SPOILERS for Smile 2!
The future of Smile Franchise is a little uncertain after Smile 2but the film presents an exciting sequel that is not a prequel, sequel or spinoff. The wild ending of Smile 2 left many fans of the franchise wondering what's next, as the end of the second Smile the film apparently makes it incredibly difficult to continue the story of the horror franchise. While the next Smile film may not take the form many expect, there is a clear path forward after Smile 2.
Smile 2 continues the story of the Smiling Curse, following the supernatural force that leaves Joel after the end of the original Smile and moves on to pop star Skye Riley. After dealing with the Smile Curse for most of the film, the Smile Entity finally kills Skye Riley at the end of Smile 2 in a shocking way. While in front of a concert audience, Skye Riley hits a microphone on her head. As the Smile Curse is passed on to anyone who witnesses one of the suicides, this means that all fans present can now have the curse.
The Ending of Smile 2 Sets Up the Perfect Smile Anthology Film
After the death of Skye Riley show
While Smile 3 may not be the best way forward, the end of Smile 2 perfectly configures a Smile anthology film. At the end of Smile 2some problems arose for the franchise. Firstly, now that thousands of characters in Smile universe has Smile Curse, there is no clear protagonist for a third film. Additionally, most of the world is now aware of the Smiling Curse due to the death of Skye Riley, ridding the franchise of the mystery and paranoia that has been at the center of all the films.
These two aspects together can make a sequence difficult, but it makes an anthology film the perfect option. Instead of choosing just one story to focus on, a Smile The anthology film could follow several members of Skye Riley's audience, showing how each is affected by the Smiling Curse. The film could even explore doctors and government officials who are trying to investigate the Smile Curse, while not focusing on those who are possessed by the Smile Entity.
How a Smile Anthology Film Would Be Different From a Direct Sequel, Prequel, or Spinoff
Still follows the events of Smile 2
Both Smile The films thus far have followed the Smile Entity's linear chain of victims, with each one occurring one at a time. However, this potential Smile anthology film wouldn't do that. Instead, he would bounce around the world of Smileexploring different stories and showing the different directions in which the Smile Entity continues to spread. There probably wouldn't be any returning characters from the cast of Smile 2 or the original film, focusing on an entirely new cast.
However, the Smile the anthology would also not be a prequel or spinoff. Unlike a prequel, the Smile anthology film would follow the events of Smile 2exploring the aftermath of Skye Riley's death. Unlike a spinoff, the anthology would take place in the same universe as the main films, being canonical for potential Smile 3.
A Smile Anthology Film Repeats The Best Smile Change 2
Skye Riley's Legacy Continues
Another great benefit of a Smile anthology film is that it would repeat the best change of Smile 2. Despite being a direct sequel to the original Smile, Smile 2 It is totally different from its predecessor. Tonally and stylistically, Smile 2 doesn't look like the original Smilemainly due to the big changes in locations and character types. This allowed Smile 2 staying current despite telling a similar story to the original Smilesomething that could be repeated several times in a Smile anthology film.
Focusing on multiple different stories set in the Smile universe would allow the anthology to focus on multiple sets of original stories, with unlimited potential for the types of stories that can be told. The film could highlight the Smile Entity's activities in different locations with different types of people, allowing the franchise to develop further after the devastating ending of Smile 2.