Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Smile 2!
Despite appearing inSmile 2, Kyle Gallner’s Joel wasn’t the main character as many had expected, and here’s why. Joel was the only returning main character from the firstSmilemovie, and due to Kyle Gallner’s star power and role at the end of the originalSmile, it was expected that he would be the protagonist of the sequel. However,Smile 2instead decided to entirely shift away from thecast of the firstSmileand focus on an all-new protagonist named Skye Riley, with many wondering why Joel didn’t have a more significant role in the 2024 film.
Kyle Gallner’s character appears in the opening scene ofSmile 2, with him still having the Smile Curse six days after the end ofSmile. In an attempt to get rid of it, he tries to kill one drug dealer in front of the other, hoping to pass the curse along. However, things go awry when several other characters appear, causing Joel to flee the scene of the crime. While being pursued by the other drug dealers, Joel is hit by an oncoming car and dies. This is the end ofJoel’s role inSmile 2.
Parker Finn Wanted Smile 2 To Be Completely Different From Smile
Moving Away From The Original Film
The reason that Joel wasn’t the main protagonist ofSmile 2is that director Parker Finn wanted the sequel to be completely different from the originalSmile.The originalSmileis much smaller scale, with it focusing on doctors and police officers in a small town.Smile 2, on the other hand, takes place in a massive city and focuses on a world-famous pop star, with Skye Riley’s story being on a much larger scale and completely raising the stakes. Both films have different tones, themes, and styles, with the Smile Entity being their only shared aspect.
Smile 2: What Was Real & What Scenes Didn’t Really Happen
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.
In order for Parker Finn to make the twoSmilemovies completely different, he had to move on from the cast of the originalSmile. While having a film with Joel as the protagonist could have been fun, it would have weighedSmile 2down, forcing it to be more like the originalSmile. Putting a few degrees of separation between Rose Cotter and Skye Riley was the right move, as there were very few references to the events of the originalSmileoutside ofMorris' appearance inSmile 2.
Skye Riley Gave Smile 2 A Blank Slate To Explore
Allowing For A New Type Of Smile Story
Making Naomi Scott’s Skye Riley the protagonist ofSmile 2was the best choice, as it gave the film an entirely blank slate. Hypothetically, Parker Finn could have written Skye Riley to be any type of character that he wanted, with him not being restricted by the events and characters of the original film. ForSmile 2to have its concert setting and themes of fame and pressure,it couldn’t have stuck with the originalSmilecast, as that story doesn’t work for the characters who appeared in the first film.
On the other hand, ifSmile 2had made Joel the protagonist, it would have severely limited what Parker Finn could have done with the characters. Skye Riley being a blank slate is juxtaposed with Joel being a well-established character who already had an entire movie of development. Because of this, Parker Finn would have had to stay consistent with Joel’s characterization from the first film, something that he seemingly didn’t want to do. Killing off Joel and moving on was the perfect solution, allowing for a protagonist like Skye Riley to appear.
The Sequel Couldn’t Completely Leave Him Out
Although Skye Riley was the protagonist ofSmile 2, Joel still had to return in the sequel in some form. This is because the originalSmileestablished that the Smile Curse has to be passedfrom one character to another. Since Joel became possessed by the Smile Entity at the end of the original film, there was no way thatSmile 2could get around this, with the script having to find a way for the Smile Curse to travel from Joel to Skye Riley.
Smile 2’s Voss Water Obsession Hides A Dark Reality For Skye
Smile 2 sees the entity haunting Skye Riley, who was constantly chugging bottles of Voss water, but this hides a tragic reality for her.
Since Joel was a fan-favorite character from the originalSmile, some fans would also have been upset if Kyle Gallner’s character didn’t return at all.Smile 2found the right balance in attempting to move on, as one of the best scenes in the sequel is all about Joel, but it is also the only scene to feature him at all.
Smile 2
Cast
Smile 2 is the sequel to the 2022 psychological horror film by director Parker Finn that centers on a therapist who witnesses a patient’s suicide, leading to a series of terrifying supernatural events. The sequel will see the return of Finn as director, with Paramount continuing distribution.
