“Smile 2” brings in $2.5 million in early Thursday previews

“Smile 2” is building up the hype to surpass the first film in quality, and the horror film is doing good business for Halloween so far.

The people at Paramount will also be smiling ear to ear when it comes to the sequel to the 2022 horror film Smile keeps the terror going this October horror 3 topped the box office top ten last week. Smile 2 blew our own Chris Bumbray away when he beamed in his review, “Smile 2 outshined its predecessor but managed to mislead people with its heavy doses of pitch-black comedy. However, Finn doesn’t skimp on the gore either, as it’s scarier than the original and has a high payoff, which is an absolute must for me in that regard. In fact, I was shocked at how much I loved it Smile 2. For me it’s one of the more entertaining films I’ve seen this year, the two hour plus running time flies by. It’s a blood-soaked banger through and through.”

Deadline now reports that audiences lined up for a good scare at the Parker Finn horror film’s preview early Thursday, and Smile 2 would command $2.5 million when it opens at 5 p.m. at 3,000 locations. This would surpass the first film’s early preview by half a million, while the first would gross $22.6 million in its opening weekend and finish its theatrical run with $105.9 million. Advance ticket sales have also been a good sign for this sequel and the response is quite positive as it sits at a certified fresh rating of 85% on Rotten Tomatoes while awaiting an audience review.

The Halloween crowd also had something to offer last week horror 3 to spread some good scares. Thursday’s estimates suggest a slight decline with $1.5 million earned, bringing the first week to $26.9 million. The More terrible Films made a splash among audiences because they contained excessive violence and dark humor, and many claim so horror 3 is the best in the series so far. The success of this new film also prepares audiences for an inevitable sequel.

Meanwhile, not all of these October releases aim to scare audiences like Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s romantic drama We live in time from A24 expanded its release to 955 theaters. The film failed to compete with larger releases, grossing a modest $500,000 on Thursday.

About the author

EJ is a news editor at JoBlo as well as a video editor, writer and narrator for some of the film recaps on our YouTube channel JoBlo Originals, including Reel Action, Revisited and some of the top 10 lists. He is a graduate of Missouri Western State University’s film program, majoring in acting, writing, editing and directing.