‘Smile 2’ Set for Horror Box Office Showdown With ‘Terrifier 3’

After the jaw-dropping $18.8 million start for Bloody Disgusting’s “Terrifier 3” and the continued legs of Warner Bros.’ “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” there’s a clear appetite among moviegoers for horror in all of its forms this Halloween season. That will be tested further this weekend with the arrival of Paramount’s “Smile 2,” which could open around $22 million or higher — unless “Terrifier 3” pushes it aside.

Two years ago, “Smile,” the feature debut of director Parker Finn, premiered at Fantastic Fest to enthusiastic praise and became a fresh horror hit for Paramount with $217 million grossed worldwide against a $17 million budget. Its success earned Finn a first-look deal with the studio, and now he’s back with a sequel that continues plot threads left behind by the first film while following Naomi Scott’s pop star as its new doomed protagonist.

Since entering tracking, “Smile 2” has been projected for an opening weekend similar to or possibly slightly higher than the $22.6 million start of its predecessor. But “Terrifier 3” might end up being a tougher competitor for the attention of horror fans than suspected, as evidenced by its strong showing this week that points to an audience for the gory slasher beyond that first weekend.

Buoyed by headlines of its underdog rise to becoming the No. 1 movie in America, “Terrifier 3” earned an excellent $2.7 million on Monday and added another $2 million on Tuesday. It is clear at this point that despite its gory, unrated nature — or more likely, because of it — Damien Leone’s twisted slasher film is finding new moviegoers beyond those who were fans of the last “Terrifier” two years ago, increasing the chances that the microbudget title continues to leg out through Halloween and possibly beyond.

And that begs the question of whether these two horror sequels can coexist in theaters.

“They might both be horror, but they are very different approaches to the genre,” said Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “‘Terrifier 3’ is niche, and I say that in a good way, while ‘Smile 2’ is part of a major studio’s form of horror even if it is rated R and has its own unique filmmaker style.”

Dergarabedian admitted that it is strange to look at “Smile 2,” an R-rated film in which a demonic creature possesses people and makes them commit suicide, as the comparatively tame horror option in theaters right now. But Dergarabedian sees the film as a potential option for people who want to see a horror film but not one that breaks every ultraviolent boundary like “Terrifier 3”

“Those who want to really test their limits with an unrated cult film can do so, while those looking for something a bit more mainstream will have an option as well,” he said.

Reception, as always, is the X factor. At time of writing, “Smile 2” has an 81% Rotten Tomatoes score , and early reception will determine whether it is seen as a worthy successor to the first “Smile” or if it falls short of the buzz that “Terrifier 3” is earning right now.

Also rolling out in six theaters in New York and Los Angeles is Neon’s “Anora,” the critically acclaimed, Palme D’Or-winning dramedy from director Sean Baker that has already been anointed as a top Oscar contender. Starring Mikey Madison as a sex worker who ends up running afoul of the wealthy parents of an immature young man from Russia who elopes with her, the film has a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score.

But this weekend at the box office, all eyes are on whether “Terrifier 3” can edge another mainstream studio title out of the top slot.

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