Warning! The Following Contains a Major SPOILER fromSmile 2.
Horror fans were treated to an unforgettably nostalgic moment when “Scream” QueenDrew Barrymorepopped up inSmile 2for an important cameo. However, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to die-hard enthusiasts because Barrymore is revealed in the official trailer for the supernatural sequel. Nevertheless, reality and fantasy appear to merge as the singing sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) visitsThe Drew Barrymore Show,which is where audiences learn just how popular the pop star really is.And filmmaker Parker Finn wrote the pivotal scene with Barrymore in mind from the very beginning.Finn said in an interview (perCinemaBlend):
“I really, in building this pop star of Skye Riley played by Naomi Scott, wanted to lend credibility to the character and sort of blur the lines between reality and fiction and make her feel almost like she really existed in our world. And so, I had this idea of introducing her on a talk show… but I was like, I want to do a real talk show. I love Drew Barrymore, and I wrote the scene, and then I sent it to her. And I also wrote a letter to her, and she was so gracious and said yes. And it was such a like fun dream to get to work with her and to do that.”
This certainly wasn’t the first time a filmmaker cashed in on casting Barrymore for a cameo in a horror film, though. Director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson cleverly utilized the presence of Barrymore in the originalScream(1996) much in the same way that auteur Alfred Hitchcock exploited Janet Leigh’s presence in 1960’sPsycho— killing off the film’s star as a tactic to shock audiences. Judging from the ingenious advertising and marketing campaign forScream, Barrymore’s popularity insinuated that the actress would be the star of Craven and Williamson’s collaboration.
However, it was a monumental misdirect because Barrymore’s character, Casey Becker, is killed off during her brutal cameo in the movie’s bloody opening sequence.Finn’s inclusion of Barrymore inSmile 2doesn’t rank quite as high as the actress’ appearance inScream,in terms of being a wildly creative gimmick, but it’s the most inventive casting of Barrymore since her character faced off against Ghostface almost 30 years ago.
Smile 2’s ‘Tragic’ Taylor Swift-Inspired Star
Having Drew Barrymore appear inSmile 2certainly helped establish Skye Riley’s (Scott) popularity in the music world, butusing Taylor Swift as inspirationwas crucial in developing the fictional character, too. And, as filmmaker Parker Finn quickly points out,Skye imbues even more realism in that she is a “quite tragic, quite flawed” heroine, who must face off against the Smile Entity. Finn elaborted in an interview withBloody Disgusting:
“We meet this real human being who’s quite tragic, quite flawed. She has some serious stuff that she’s dealing with, but she’s harboring it all inside. She feels that she can’t speak about it to anybody. Even though she’s surrounded by people all day, every day, she’s the loneliest person in the world.”
Box Office Round-Up: Creepy Horror Sequel Flashes Its Pearly Whites All the Way to Top Spot
Paramount Pictures has plenty to “Smile” about as their latest horror flick frightens up loads of box office biz over its opening weekend.
Finn further explained humanizing the film’s Taylor Swift-esque protagonist, so that the character of Skye Riley would hopefully resonate with audiences. TheSmile 2writer and director said in a separate interview withVariety:
“I was looking at some of these demigod women we have elevated: What’s the real human being there? You know, Taylor Swift can’t be Taylor Swift all the time. It felt like such an interesting place to start. Plus, I didn’t want to set it in dark, dingy basements or spidery addicts or anything like that.
This world of a pop star is glamorous, it’s glitzy, it’s shiny, it should be fun. I thought, ‘Can I present that world authentically, and yet tonally make it feel quite frigid and disquieting? Unsettling and very isolating and lonely?’ That felt powerful to me as a place to start.”
Smile 2is now playing in theaters,butthe much more savage Entityis going to have an impossible time scaring up enough business to repeat as this upcoming weekend’s No. 1 film — let alone compete with a certain Marvel anti-hero. Despite its current 36% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a questionable ending that will likely leave fans of the gooey symbiote in tears, Sony’sVenom: The Last Dancewill monopolize most of the box office biz during its debut.
About to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.
