In the end, it’s Kyle Gallner’s Joel who makes the most sense for a return. It is, after all, his shocked expression we see in the grueling final moments of “Smile,” with Rose Cutter passing the trauma curse on to Joel in a grisly act of self-destruction. And it would no doubt be exceedingly easy for Parker Finn to pick the action up in the immediate aftermath of that harrowing event.
While little is known about where “Smile 2” will go from the original’s unshakeable finale, the good news is that Parker Finn will apparently be back to write and direct the sequel. And if he does opt to tell Joel’s story in “Smile 2,” it seems Gallner is more than game to take that journey, with the actor telling SlashFilm, “If they want me back as Joel to jump into that sandbox, I’m more than happy to come in and play.”
According to Finn, however, Gallner may not get the chance, with the filmmaker telling The Hollywood Reporter, “I would never want to just repeat myself or retread the same ground. I’d want to make sure that there’s a new, exciting, fresh way into it that the audience isn’t anticipating.” And so it seems the future of the “Smile” franchise is far from written.
