‘Smile 2’ Keeps Box Office’s Horror Bonanza Rolling With $23 Million Opening

Tis the season for horror, as Paramount’s “Smile 2” and Cineverse/Bloody Disgusting’s “Terrifier 3” have proven that there’s plenty of appetite among moviegoers for gruesome Halloween scares to allow them both to thrive at the box office.

Paramount’s sequel to Parker Finn’s 2022 breakout horror hit is matching the start of its predecessor with a $23 million opening weekend from 3,619 theaters. With only a slightly higher production budget at $28 million and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 83% critics and 84% audience, “Smile 2” will be an instant theatrical success as it tries to use the Halloween season to match the $105 million domestic/$217 million global total of the first “Smile.”