Smile 2made Skye Riley the star of the show, replacing Rose Cotter as the franchise’s lead, but it should’ve been Joel. Theending ofSmiledirectlyleads into the events ofSmile 2, as the sequel showsJoel haunted by the Smile Curse six days after watching Rose burn to death in front of his eyes. However,Joel dies inSmile 2, allowing the curse to pass to Lewis so it could eventually find Skye Riley as its next victim. This decision made Naomi Scott’s character the main character of the sequel, following in the footsteps of Sophie Bacon.
Having Skye Riley replace Rose inSmile 2proved to be a move that worked well for Parker Finn’s sequel. Scott delivered a great performance in the lead role, and the traumatic and surprising story that unfolded for Skye was thrilling. And since Skye is a pop star, she providedSmile 2with a chance to deliver a movie completely different from the first film. It makes sense that she’s at the center of the sequel, but she was far from the only option.Smile 2proves another character could’ve replaced Rose, and they deserve a prequel next.
Smile 2 Should’ve Been Joel’s Story After Smile’s Ending
He Was Positioned As The Next Lead
For as great as Skye’s story is inSmile 2, I still believe that the sequel should have been focused on Joel. Kyle Gallner’s return inSmile 2was a necessary part of the franchise’s continuation afterSmile’s ending. The final moments confirmed that he would be the next person haunted by the Smiler, so any follow-up had to explain what happened to him next. This is why it was believed for some time after the sequel was initially announced thatSmile 2would make Joel the main characterand show him fighting for his survival after Rose’s death.
How Joel Lived For 6 Days After Smile’s Ending
Smile 2 continues the story of Kyle Gallner’s Joel from the first film, and here is why the smile entity does what it does in the sequel.
Joel replacing Rose as the lead of theSmilefranchise would’ve worked to tie the films together more firmly. The sequel would have been able to show better what happened to Sophie Bacon’s character beyond the smallRose cameo inSmile 2. The haunting final image ofSmilewas evidence of how great it could be to have Joel be the focus moving forward. All the trauma of watching Rose die, coping with her death, and attempting to figure out how he could avoid being the curse’s next victim provided a blueprint for whatSmile 2’s story could have been.
A Joel Prequel Set Between Smile & Smile 2 Is Still Worth Doing
The Franchise Should Bring Kyle Gallner Back Again
It might seem like the opportunity to tell Joel’s story has already passed afterSmile 2’s endingteased where the franchise could go next, but that is not necessarily the case. Paramount should be looking for ways to expand the series beyond the core main story, and a Joel prequel would be a great way to do that. It would allow the franchise to go back and explore Joel’s life in those six days betweenSmileandSmile 2. Showing the full extent of his haunted experience and revealing what he learned about the Smiler could improve the overall series.
A Joel-led film set betweenSmileandSmile 2would also have the opportunity to be a very different type of genre film than what Parker Finn has done so far. He could use Joel to fully embrace a detective thriller story where Gallner’s character frantically searches for answers and potential victims to who he can pass the curse next. The firstSmilehad short moments where his detective abilities were utilized, but a prequel would allow them to take center stage. Essentially, the prequel would be a mystery thriller mixed with horror elements that leads directly intoSmile 2.
