‘Smile 3’ Finds Its Director in David Bruckner

Skip to content Nick Antosca will write the upcoming horror sequel with creator Parker Finn producing October 28, 2026 @ 5:18 PM NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 13: David Bruckner speaks onstage at Shudder Presents: The Latest In Horror during New York Comic Con 2023 – Day 2 at Javits Center on October 13, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for ReedPop) Veteran horror filmmaker David Bruckner is set to direct Paramount’s upcoming horror sequel “Smile 3,” taking over from series creator Parker Finn who will remain on the project as a producer with Temple Hill Entertainment. Nick Antonsca will write the screenplay from a framework developed by Finn. Jonathan Fass is executive producer. Bruckner got his start directing in horror anthology films like “V/H/S,” “Southbound,” and the 2007 Sundance film “The Signal.” His most recent films include “The Night House,” which was released by Searchlight in 2021, and a reimagining of Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser,” which was released by Hulu in 2022. Bruckner’s other projects include a remake of the classic horror film “The Blob” for Warner Bros. and an adaptation of the Marcus Kleiwer novel “The Caretaker” starring Sydney Sweeney for Universal. As he hands off his breakout horror series to Bruckner, Finn is set to direct a remake of the 1981 cult horror film “Possession” starring Callum Turner and Margaret Qualley, which will be released by Paramount through a first-look deal in June 2027. Premiering at Fantastic Fest, “Smile” became a breakout horror hit in the fall of 2022, grossing $217 million worldwide — the most of any original horror film that year — and spawning a 2024 sequel that grossed $138 million. Bruckner is repped by WME and Grandview. His signing was first reported by Daniel Richtman.