Smile Is Back With New Sequel, And It's Near-Perfect

Smile, one of the best new horror franchises of the 2020s, returns this Fall with a shocking new prequel. The 2020s have seen an explosion in quality horror films and franchises, perhaps a reflection of the times. Smile, which hit theaters in 2022, is one of this decade’s most endearing and terrifying entries.

Created by Parker Finn, and growing out of his short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, Smile became an unlikely box office smash when it was released in September 2022. The film, starring Sosie Bacon and Jessie T. Usher, was a dark and unforgiving look at the nature of trauma, embodied in a demonic, fatal curse. Originally slated to be released directly to streaming, Smile was a hit, and a sequel was commissioned, hitting theaters in 2024. A third film is currently in production, slated to be released next year.

Paramount Pictures, who released Smile, recently inked a deal with IDW Publishing to bring fans titles based on properties owned by the studio. Several of Paramount’s horror-based franchises, such as Event Horizon, are a part of this initiative, being released under the IDW Dark imprint. Now, Smile is following in the footsteps of these venerable IPs and getting a prequel comic that sheds light on the curse.

Any Given Smile Takes Readers Back 30 Years Before the First Film

Any Given Smile Sees Stephanie Williams and Pablo Collar At Their Best

Any Given Smile’s first issue, written by Stephanie Williams and drawn by Pablo Collar, is coming soon from IDW Publishing. Set nearly 30 years before the first Smile film, Any Given Smile is set in Florida, against the backdrop of arena football and sports gambling. League star Maximillian Dupree has the chance to play in the championship game, if gangsters do not get to him first.

Dupree’s already complicated life gets even more so when the Smile curse rears its head. First spreading through Saint Augustine’s gambling community, the curse is once again killing people, forcing them to see sinister, smiling ghosts before they die. Tommy, a bookie and Dupree’s contact within the crime community, falls under the curse’s spell, which threatens to spread it even further, perhaps even to the championship game.

Any Given Smile is the product of Stephanie Williams and Pablo Collar. Williams is one of the most exciting new talents working today. Her credits include Nubia for DC and Star Trek: Deviations: Threads of Destiny. She is also the author of Temporal, which earned her a historic Eisner nomination. Collar, Williams’ collaborator on Any Given Smile, also has an extensive portfolio, having drawn covers and interiors for IDW, Marvel, DC and others. Together, they move the Smile franchise forward, all while looking back.

Any Given Smile Is a Win for IDW Dark

IDW Dark has already wracked up some impressive victories in its short existence. The imprint’s Event Horizon titles, set before and after the events of the movie, were hits with fans, and fleshed certain details out even further. Other, non-licensed IDW Dark books, such as Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, have earned award nominations, and also appeared on year-end “best of” lists. The time is ripe for the return of horror comics, and IDW is matching the vibe with this new imprint.

And Any Given Smile is another win for IDW Dark. The two Smile movies are masterclasses in building suspense and dread, and Any Given Smile effectively continues this trend. Williams and Collar have taken the best parts of the Smile franchise, including the curse’s demonic visions, and pushed them into new territory. Smile made it clear the curse had an extensive history, and Williams and Collar peel back the curtain to confirm this horrifying truth.

The best horror reflects the anxieties of the age, and Any Given Smile is no different. Despite being set in 1995, Any Given Smile speaks to the problems of 2026, namely the devastating effects gambling can have on communities. Maximilian is mixed up with some bad people, those who care only for money. Online gambling platforms have exploded in popularity in recent years. Society must wait to see the long-term effects of this development, but Any Given Smile is already showing the desperation gambling can push people towards.

The Smile Franchise Will Return With a New Film Next Year

With two hit films under its belt, and a third one coming next year, it is safe to say Smile is one of this decade’s best horror franchises. The first two movies were well received by fans and critics. The films created buzz and interest, especially in the nature of the curse and its history. Whether or not the third entry will touch on these ideas or not remains to be seen, but Stephanie Wiliams and Pablo Collar are bringing Smile back for a new prequel.

Any Given Smile #1 is on sale September 23 from IDW Publishing. FOC is August 17!