Smile 2 leaves the franchise in a spot to replace Skye Riley in Smile 3, and there's a brilliant option introduced in the sequel that would flip one of its big twists. By the time that Smile 2's ending rolls around, Parker Finn's movie delivers a few major surprises. The very end continued the trend of killing the film's lead character, as Skye Riley dies on stage at her concert from the Smile Curse. This comes after Smile 2's twist that a lot of the film took place in Skye's head - including every interaction Naomi Scott's character had with her former best friend Gemma (Dylan Gelula).
The decision to have Smile 2 end with Skye's death is a vital moment when it comes to setting up Smile 3. The curse now has a path to infect hundreds or thousands of victims at once. That's important for Smile 3, as it means someone attending the concert will be the initial target of the curse. There are a few different characters introduced in the film who could carry on and have a role in the third installment, just as Joel returned for Smile 2. However, one character should return to replace Skye as the threequel's lead.
Gemma Could Be The Lead Of Smile 3 After Smile 2's Ending
She Could Become The Curse's Next Target
Gemma is a fantastic option to lead Smile 3 after Skye's death in Smile 2. This could be done in several different ways. While Skye's death may have been captured on camera, Gemma watching it after the fact would not seemingly transfer the curse to her based on previous evidence. This means that the simplest explanation would be that Gemma could go to the concert to support her former best friend after potentially becoming concerned for her well-being after numerous strange texts. If Gemma was one of the witnesses of Skye's death, the curse could haunt her next.
The Smile entity went to new lengths to haunt its host in Smile 2, completely erasing the lines between what was real and what was a hallucination.
The other option for Gemma to become the Smile Curse's next target is for her to come into contact with someone who becomes targeted first. One option would be Gemma visiting Skye's mom, who could carry the curse and then pass it to Gemma after her own death. This would continue the tragic train of events and be a more complicated route to make Gemma Smile 3's main character. It would be much easier for the sequel to just reveal that she came to the concert on her on if this is the direction the franchise takes to replace Skye.
Gemma Being The Lead Of Smile 3 Could Flip Her & Skye's Smile 2 Roles
Smile 2's Gemma Twist Could Be Reversed
There is a fun possibility that would come with Smile 3 making Gemma the lead by flipping her and Skye's roles. The big Gemma twist in Smile 2 that all her scenes were part of the smile curse's plan to manipulate Skye's mind completely changed the context of her role. Instead of being a friend who came to Skye's aid, she was a pawn for the curse and was ultimately used to torture and haunt the pop star. That was a devastating realization for Skye in the finale, but Smile 3 could reverse their roles then.
Instead of Gemma being a pawn used by the curse to haunt Skye, Scott's character would become that for Gelula's. Smile 3 would certainly have the entity take Skye's form at least once to torment Gemma and remind her of the brutal death she witnessed. This would leave the threequel in a spot where Gemma would be the protagonist fighting for her survival, while Skye would only be featured as a form that the Smiler takes to tease her imminent doom and haunting past.
Smile 3 Focusing On Gemma Could Help Explain Her & Skye's Falling Out
One Of Smile 2's Big Questions Could Be Answered
There is also another benefit for the franchise's connectivity and story to having Gemma be the lead of Smile 3. Her role in Smile 2 is tied to the vague explanation that she and Skye used to be best friends before something went down and tore their friendship apart. The details about what happened between Skye and Gemma in Smile 2 are lacking, leaving viewers in the dark about why the world famous pop star no longer had her best friend by her side. Skye's death closes the door on one option for that answer coming.
Naomi Scott's fictional pop star Skye Riley needs to return in Smile 3, and 2024's Smile 2 showcases the perfect way that it can happen.
However, if Gemma does return in Smile 3, her and Skye's falling out could be fully explored. Her dealing with the grief associated with Skye's death would be enough of a reason for the film to dive deeper into her past and the nature of their relationship. Furthermore, the fact that the curse could pull information about their relationship from its time connected to each of their minds would give it a chance to lead those conversations as it haunts Gemma with Skye's image. Now Smile 3 just needs to bring Gemma back after Smile 2 to make this possible.
English (US) ·