The ‘Smile’ star reacts to the smash hit horror that’s set to become one of the biggest sensations of the year

The Paramount Plus hit the horror to smile evoked an instant reaction from audiences around the world following its incredibly bizarre marketing strategy. In an unexpected turn of events, despite its marketing efforts, some of the film’s stars were somewhat skeptical about the feature film’s success and doubted its blockbuster material from the start.

During an interview with MovieWeb, star Kyle Gallner, who plays Detective Joel in the film, admitted he was pleasantly surprised by the thriller’s tremendous success. Gallner admitted his disbelief stemming from the cinema’s demanding climate and continued failures in the medium, increasing skepticism about box office success.

“I think with the climate of film these days, it’s so hard to predict anything. You just never know what’s going to hit and take off. And for a film that was only supposed to be on Paramount+ and isn’t even going to a theatrical release, that definitely comes as a surprise to everyone.”

When asked about the reasons for the film’s accomplishments, Gallner said he believes “there’s something in it for everyone,” adding, “there’s enough in it for the casual horror fan.” Then hardcore fans, especially in a cinema, can have that collective experience and really enjoy the film.”

The actor also praised the marketing genius behind the picture, adding that it may have been one of the many reasons everyone seemed intrigued to smilewhich leads the audience to watch the film in hopes of satisfying their curiosity.

“Also, I think the marketing campaign for the film is so clever. It really drew a lot of people, and word of mouth took over. It snowed into this monster.”

to smile was released in September and has grossed over $200 million worldwide. Just six weeks after its release, it had grossed over $99 million at the domestic box office. The film stars Jessie T. Usher, Caitlin Stasey, Kyle Gallner and Robin Weigert, and it was written and directed by Parker Finn.

The horror hit can be found and streamed on Paramount Plus, or if you’re already an avid fan of the film, on physical media from to smile will be released on 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on December 13th.