Smile Franchise Director Loves When an Actor Matches His Freak

2 weeks ago 5

Whether they want to admit it or not, even the most jaded horror fan was sure to flinch during Parker Finn’s 2022 feature-length directorial debut, Smile. Overflowing with emotion, the movie was also packed with hard-to-watch scenes, including one in which a woman slices her own throat open. When returning to the drawing board for Smile 2, Finn fully understood the assignment. He knew he’d need to go bigger and more insane to pull off that same shock value and that in order to do so, he’d need some top-tier actors who were fully devoted to his bonkers vision.

During a recent conversation with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff, Finn revealed that the casting process for the highly-anticipated sequel was of the utmost importance to him, admitting that “big performances” are something that he’s constantly looking for and “always chasing.” Luckily, when it came to the follow-up, the movie that came before it helped better funnel the right talent his way, with Finn explaining:

“I think it was much easier after the first film came out that people kind of knew what my style and vibe was . I, of course, wanted to dial everything up to 11 in the sequel, and so we go even bigger and crazier, and more unhinged.”

Parker Finn Is Looking for a Connection

Beyond the line reading and character development, Finn says that he’s really looking for stars who will be solid collaborators — hiring names like Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, Dylan Gelula, and Rosemarie DeWitt for the sequel.

“I think the biggest thing is people who I can connect with creatively , who I can see as a creative partner. I love these actors who are willing to link arms with me and sort of jump off the deep end with me, and I think that’s where we work best together. It becomes this situation of, we talk so much about the characters , about the tone and vibe of the film, and how things are going to work. I’m incredibly specific with the way I shoot my films. I don’t spray a lot of random coverage. I try to be very bespoke and particular with everything, and it’s all about creating this level of trust. So, I’m always looking for actors who are willing to get in the passenger seat with me and just kind of go crazy.”

Check out all of Finn’s unhinged collaborative efforts pay off, as Smile 2 is now in cinemas. Watch Nemiroff's chat with Finn below.