# Smile 3 Hires David Bruckner to Direct

- Topic: cinema
- Source: [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/smile-3-director-writer-1236838500/)
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Original: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/smile-3-director-writer-1236838500/
- Language: en
- Image: https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/smile-4.jpg

## At a glance

- David Bruckner hired to direct Smile 3
- Nick Antosca hired to write the screenplay
- Parker Finn stays on as producer and holds a first‑look deal
- Smile 1 and 2 achieved strong box‑office returns worldwide

## Sources

- [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/smile-3-director-writer-1236838500/)

## The story

Paramount Pictures has announced that David Bruckner will direct the upcoming third instalment of the horror franchise Smile. The studio also tapped Nick Antosca to pen the screenplay, replacing series creator Parker Finn, who will stay on as a producer. Bruckner, known for the 2022 Hellraiser reboot, The Ritual, and 2020's The Night House, brings a track record of atmospheric horror. Antosca, creator of Apple’s Cape Fear and Hulu’s The Act, has written Antlers and the forthcoming Verity adaptation. No plot details for Smile 3 have been disclosed, and each film in the series has featured a new cast and story. The original 2022 film, starring Sosie Bacon, earned $105 million domestically and $217 million worldwide, while Smile 2 grossed $69 million domestically and $139 million worldwide on a $28 million budget. Finn, who directed the first two films, remains involved through a first‑look deal with Paramount and is set to direct a 2027 remake of the 1981 supernatural thriller Possession. With Bruckner’s and Antosca’s experience, Smile 3 is positioned to continue the franchise’s blend of psychological terror and commercial appeal.

> Summary by Daily Read Bytes. [Read the original source](https://variety.com/2026/film/news/smile-3-director-writer-1236838500/)