'Smile 3' sets major creative change with David Bruckner taking the helm

'Smile 3' is moving forward with David Bruckner directing, while Parker Finn remains attached as a producer

Paramount Pictures is moving ahead with Smile 3, bringing in a new director for the next instalment of its successful horror franchise.

David Bruckner has signed on to direct the upcoming film, marking a creative shift for the series previously helmed by franchise creator Parker Finn.

According to an exclusive report by Variety, Bruckner will direct Smile 3 from a screenplay by Nick Antosca. Bruckner is known for directing horror films including The Night House and the Hellraiser reboot, while Antosca recently worked on the feature adaptation of Colleen Hoover's psychological thriller Verity.

Finn directed both Smile (2022) and Smile 2 (2024), establishing the franchise's focus on psychological horror, trauma and a mysterious curse that spreads through its victims. However, he is stepping away from the director's chair to work on his upcoming remake of the 1981 supernatural horror film Possession.

Despite the change in leadership, Finn will remain involved in Smile 3 as a producer alongside Temple Hill. He has also pitched the story framework for the third film, which Bruckner and Antosca are expected to develop further.

The franchise's next chapter will follow the events of Smile 2, which ended with the curse spreading on a much larger scale after unfolding in front of a packed arena audience. The conclusion left the door open for a wider outbreak, although specific plot details for Smile 3 remain under wraps.

The first two Smile films have collectively grossed more than $350 million worldwide, establishing the series as a significant commercial success for Paramount.

Bruckner is also attached to several other projects, including a reboot of the science fiction horror classic The Blob, the Sydney Sweeney supernatural thriller The Caretaker and A24's upcoming horror film Mice. Paramount has yet to announce a release date for Smile 3.