Culture 3 min read By Mason Emerson
Paramount hires David Bruckner to direct Smile 3 with Nick Antosca writing
Paramount has hired Hellraiser director David Bruckner to helm the third Smile film, with Nick Antosca writing the screenplay while series creator Parker Finn steps back to produce.
Paramount has hired David Bruckner to direct "Smile 3," the next installment in the psychological horror franchise, and Nick Antosca to write the screenplay. The studio announced the team on Wednesday, marking a shift in the series' creative leadership as the franchise moves into its third film.
Parker Finn, who created the series and wrote and directed the first two films, will not direct the new entry. He will remain involved as a producer alongside Temple Hill, the production company behind the franchise. Finn pitched the framework for the third installment, according to Variety's report. He is currently busy directing Paramount's remake of "Possession," which is why he is stepping away from the director's chair for the sequel. Coverage of the announcement noted that Finn's absence is the reason the studio went looking for a new filmmaker, rather than any dispute over the direction of the series.
Bruckner is best known for the horror films "Hellraiser" and "The Night House." His work in the genre has tended toward slow-building dread and emotionally grounded terror, qualities that align with the unsettling, psychological tone that defined the earlier "Smile" films. Antosca has written for both film and television and is known for "Cape Fear" and "Brand New Cherry Flavor," a pairing of director and writer that signals Paramount intends to keep the franchise anchored in its established mood.
The original "Smile" arrived as a surprise hit for the studio and spawned a sequel, keeping its central idea of a sinister presence passed from one person to the next. Finn's move to the "Possession" remake makes the third film the first in the series to be guided by a different creative voice, a change the studio has framed as a natural evolution of the property rather than a break from it. Finn remaining attached as a producer gives the franchise a continuing link to the storytelling that launched it.
The announcement also arrived in a busy stretch for horror adaptations and sequels across film and games. Industry coverage of the news placed "Smile 3" alongside other franchise revivals, reflecting the continued studio appetite for familiar titles with an established fan base. Bruckner's casting places a director with a strong horror résumé at the center of a property that has already proven commercially viable, a combination that gives the project a clear identity going into development.
No release date or casting details for "Smile 3" were included in the announcement, and Paramount has not yet said when production will begin. Further information on the film's cast, schedule and story is expected as development advances.
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