The horror sequel “Smile 2” is set to breathe some much-needed life into the box office

By next weekend, the box office will have suffered an unfortunate decline. There’s no need to revisit the truly dismal first half of 2024, when theaters were almost desperate for modest hits, but the point is that the industry really doesn’t need any more setbacks. Since “Joker: Folie a Deux” unfortunately exploded and there is no hope of recovery, the first half of October is on life support. With that in mind, Paramount’s “Smile 2” can’t come soon enough as the horror sequel looks to give the box office a much-needed boost.

Director Parker Finn’s follow-up to 2022’s surprise hit “Smile” is currently aiming for a debut between $25 million and $35 million when it hits theaters next weekend, according to Box Office Theory. Even in the lower price segment, it would be higher than the original, which started at $22.6 million at the end of September 2022. “Smile,…