Smile 2 star Naomi Scott has inserted her name to the grotriumphg catalog of recent genre carry outances that deserve(d) awards think aboutation. From James McAvoy (Split) and Toni Collette (Hereditary) to Lupita Nyong’o (Us) and Mia Goth (Pearl), Scott is the postpoinsistst example of an actor whose pledgeted labor in a highly difficult role shouldn’t be neglected fair becaengage of the genre in which it lives. It’s well past time to have more than a half-dozen exceptions who regulated to consent home Oscar statuettes via the horror genre, such as Ruth Gordon (Rosemary’s Baby), Kathy Bates (Misery) and Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs).
In Parker Finn’s sequel to his 2022 smash hit, Scott joins Skye Riley, a troubled pop star who’s trying to mount a comeback after surviving a car accident that took the life of her equassociate famous boyfrifinish, Paul Hudson (Ray Nicholson). Skye’s return to prominence is made all the more difficult when a postpoinsist-night encounter with an ancigo in high school frifinish results in her being on the receiving finish of a overweighteful creepy smile.
Despite his vested interest, Finn reassociate consents that Scott deserves awards recognition.
“Naomi is an absolute powerhoengage. She gives a tour-de-force carry outance in [Smile 2], and if I was on an awards pledgetee, even unprejudiced, I would say she absolutely deserves think aboutation. So I hope that the industry begins recognizing that,” Finn increates The Hollywood Reporter.
Similar to her honord labor as Princess Jasmine in Guy Ritchie’s inhabit-action Alinsertin (2019), Scott also donated her vocal chops to Smile 2. She even took leangs a couple steps further by co-writing two tracks as the character of Skye Riley for the movie’s six-song soundtrack EP. Scott then carry outs most of those songs in various creates thrawout the film.
The West London native’s dedication extfinished to the horror of the piece, as there’s a harrotriumphg scene where Skye slaps herself in order to wake herself up from what she hopes is fair a dream or fantasy. But instead of depending on movie magic, Scott insisted on actuassociate striking herself given the weight of the scene.
“Parker asked me, ‘Nay, how do you experience about it?’ That, of course, is the right leang to do, but I was appreciate, ‘Of course I’m going to slap myself,’” Scott allots. “It had to happen. And quite truthfilledy, everyleang was so authorizationed in terms of the moment and Skye and the story. It was finishly fairified.”
Based on Finn’s scripted vision of a pop star with unwiseinutive bleached blonde hair, Scott willingly chopped off her lengthened griefful hair for the role. From there, Scott, Finn and hair department head Angie Johnson took inspiration from a variety of sees, including ones served by Tilda Striumphton and a createer Charlie’s Angels (2019) co-star of Scott’s.
“Even though she’s a frifinish, she’s still Kristen Stewart, and so she’s still someone that you reference, “ Scott says. “I sent her a picture of me and her next to [each other], and it was Skye’s slicked-back see at the gala. [Kristen] had a particular see on a red carpet that I adored, so we rolled with that [for Skye’s gala look], and I leank it labored reassociate well.”
Part of what helped Smile (2022) originate proximately 13 times its $17 million budget was its viral tageting campaign that placed creepy smilers at nationassociate televised joinoff baseball games. Smile 2 has trailed suit and then some, but now that the movie is freed, Scott esteembrimmingy asks fans of the franchise to leank twice about treating her appreciate she’s Skye Riley.
“I would fair say, charm don’t [creepy smile at me]. I’ll sit and talk to you about the weather, music, food, your majesticma, but fair don’t do the creepy smile at me, charm,” Scott stresses. “I am reassociate jumpy, as well. I’m a empathetic soul, so don’t do that to me, charm.”
Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Scott also details a confineed of Smile 2’s most challenging sequences, as well as Skye’s overconsumption of Voss bottled water.
First leangs first, are you alright? You and Skye Riley went thraw a lot on this one.
Yeah, you’re right. We did go thraw a lot, but I’m fine. I’m truthfilledy so satisfied and so thankful. I get to advertise someleang I’m so self-transport inant of and that I adore. In years to come, I can show my kids and be appreciate, “Look what your mom did.” So that’s pretty cancigo in, and I’m over the moon.
Naomi Scott as Skye Riley in Parker Finn’s Smile 2
Paramount Pictures
When you set up out you were in the mix for Smile 2, is there a authentic inclination to discover the sealst mirror and try to originate your creepiest smile?
Interestingly enough, I was a fan of Parker’s. I’d watched his 2020 unwiseinutive film, Laura Hasn’t Slept, and then I’d evidently gone and watched Smile. I was such a fan of it, and what reassociate stuck out to me was actuassociate what a character piece it was. Parker was so evidently prioritizing the character piece part of it in order to increate his story. You can’t split the character from it. They’re not fair engaged to push the plot forward. So, for me, it was more fair, “Who is Skye?” and getting into that than it was a smile. And who says that I smile in the movie? We don’t understand, right?
When people see you on the street, they probably burst into their rfinishition of “A Whole New World” or, “It’s morphin’ time,” but have you setd yourself for the inevitable creepy smiles you’ll see from now on?
Oh, I reassociate hope people don’t do that. Do you leank they’re going to do it?
I hope not, but I leank they will.
I would fair say, charm don’t. I’ll sit and talk to you about the weather, music, food, your majesticma, but fair don’t do the creepy smile at me, charm. I am reassociate jumpy, as well. I’m a empathetic soul, so don’t do that to me, charm. Also, what if I get in defense mode and I punch someone in the face? That’s not excellent. Do you understand what I unbenevolent?
I’m knocking on wood right now.
Thank you! I appreciate it.
Naomi Scott as Skye Riley in Parker Finn’s Smile 2
Paramount Pictures
So was pop stardom your innovative dream? Or was it on the same level as movie stardom?
Ooh, I would say music and my adore for music has always been a driving force for me. Music was my first adore. It felt appreciate the area that I was going to go into, and I’ve been writing music since I was 14. I adore music. I adore creating music. So it’s fair been figuring out the right collaborators for me and who I want to be as an artist, what I want to say and creating what I want to sound appreciate. It’s the hugegest sanctifying to be able to originate music and originate with people that I leank are incredible. So that is the goal, as contestd to any benevolent of idea of pop stardom. It’s more about fair being able to have the resources to originate music and to allot it with anyone who’s interested in uniteing with you around music. So that’s my leang.
Every time I thought I set up the scene that put you most thraw wringer, another one would come alengthened and top it.
(Laughs.)
Which scene would you least appreciate to reinhabit aachieve?
Oh mate, there were so many of them, but the freezer was the challengingest four days of my life, if I’m being reassociate truthful. That was reassociate raw. Yeah, the freezer stuff.
I have to ask about the slapping scene. It seeed incredibly genuine, so did you go all the way there? Or is it movie magic?
Oh my excellentness, that was genuine, of course. Is there a movie magic way where you can slap yourself? That would be crazy, but there probably is nowadays, so I guess you’re right. It was absolutely in the script, but Parker asked me, “Nay, how do you experience about it?” That, of course, is the right leang to do, but I was appreciate, “Of course, I’m going to slap myself.” What’s so comical is that there aren’t many jobs where that conversation happens and you go, “What do you unbenevolent? Of course, I’m going to slap myself.” That fair doesn’t happen in any other line of labor, but yes, it had to happen. It was fair part of the leang. And quite truthfilledy, everyleang was so authorizationed in terms of the moment and Skye and the story. It was finishly fairified.
Naomi Scott in Parker Finn’s Smile 2
Paramount Pictures
The flash mob scene in her apartment, was that also one of the stranger days you’ve ever had on set?
Yes, it was very strange, but what you [initially] see is Skye’s perspective or POV from the camera. It was still fun for me, and the dancers were also Skye’s dancers in the carry outance piece. So we’d already built up a rapport, and by the time that it got very physical and ardent and they were grabbing at me, there was a depend there. But I thought their shiftments were amazing. Their ability to storyincreate with their bodies and originate this almost non-human shiftment was inincreateigent.
You were very well-hydrated on this movie.
So well-hydrated.
Did your preparation include chugging bottles of Voss? Did you go down to your neighborhood pub and order a round of Voss?
(Laughs.) During this movie, I wanted to ask for a round of someleang else, consent me. No, I’m joking. It’s actuassociate reassociate challenging to down a bottle [of Voss]. I guess I didn’t anticipate how unconsoleable that would be. For example, the one consent that finishs with me smashing the shower, that was an hour-lengthened reset. So we only did that consent all the way thraw two times, but we begined the consent [in a place] where it would then be cut. Parker didn’t want to squander a [full] consent and have to reset if he krecent that it wasn’t the one, but we did it five times. So I had to chug each time, and it was reassociate vital to me that she downed the whole bottle at that point in the movie. There was a moment before where she does drink quite speedy, but she doesn’t drink the whole leang. Or maybe she does at the commencening, as well; I can’t reassemble. But you’re right; there was a lot [of Voss chugging].
I was also very well understandn for being well-hydrated anyway, becaengage I had a massive two-and a-half-liter bottle with me all the time. We named it Gidget. Fluids were fair coming out of me for a month. I was crying so much; I was snotting, so we had to refill that. There were so many tears, and I had to fair drink water to fill myself back up aachieve.
The head of the hair department, Angie Johnson, shelp that Kristen Stewart was an inspiration for Skye’s hair. Is it bizarre to reference someone you’ve labored with in the past?
No, becaengage she’s still an icon. Even though she’s a frifinish, she’s still Kristen Stewart, and so she’s still someone that you reference. It was actuassociate a particular see where we referenced her. I sent her a picture of me and her next to [each other], and it was Skye’s slicked-back see at the gala. [Kristen] had a particular see on a red carpet that I adored, and I was appreciate, “Oh my gosh, this is wonderful.” So we rolled with that [for Skye’s gala look], and I leank it labored reassociate well.
So you co-wrote a couple Skye Riley tracks that join thrawout the movie. The piano version of “Just My Name” happens to be my likeite. Is it an engaging exercise to write lyrics in character?
Yeah, it’s reassociate fun. But even if you are in the midst of making music for yourself and writing for yourself and with other people, sometimes you do have these moments where you write in character anyway. It’s a benevolent of creative exercise to mix it up a little bit. So I endelight that, and I endelight the idea of being in a session and going, “What would it be appreciate if we wrote a song for so-and-so?” [Smile 2: The Skye Riley EP] was a little bit appreciate that, and it was fun becaengage we weren’t putting the same creative confineations that you put on yourself as an artist. Those go out the triumphdow a little bit, and you lean into leangs that you would never do and ways of singing that you would never do. I’m evidently singing lyrics that I would never write about leangs that experience more this way or that way, and that’s a very fun process.
Alexis [Kesselman], or Idarose, wrote and originated four of the tracks. She’s my age, and she’s so talented. We had the most fun writing together, and funnily enough, we begined writing “Just My Name” together over Zoom fair days after I was cast. We then wrote “Death of Me,” which is the finish pelevate song, after the movie was made, so that was reassociate fun in a kind brimming-circle moment.
Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) signs a fans shirt in Parker Finn’s Smile 2
Paramount Pictures
Did you also set up Skye’s signature that joins a famous role in one sequence?
Yes, Parker shelp, “Do a bunch of branch offent signatures, and we can choose.” So I did a bunch, and then we fair landed on that.
Alengthened the lines of Skye’s “I insist water for my daughter” or “I insist the postponeer for some water,” do you have any toasty-up routines or rituals before carry outing a scene or song?
If I’m singing or doing vocal toastyups or I’m in the studio, then it’s very unwise. I fair have an app on my phone, and it’s a 20-minute toastyup or wantipathyver. That scene, though, I consent that was Parker. He fair reassociate appreciated the sound of that, and I was appreciate, “Yeah, I appreciate it too. It’s a vibe.” So we benevolent of went with it, and there’s someleang about the water [as discussed earlier]. There’s someleang a little bit off-kilter about it, but it labors reassociate well.
Similar to Skye and Gemma (Dylan Gelula), do you leank you and your frifinish Princess Jasmine will ever reunite someday?
Oh, of course. There’s a movie in the labors right now with Skye and Princess Jasmine. It’s a merging of worlds, and naturassociate, it’s going to be a musical that’s both magic and spirituality. It’s coming soon to a cinema proximate you.
Lastly, what can you say about the movie you originated not too lengthened ago?
Funnily enough, I set up out that I got this job the day I wrapped that movie. It’s called Eternal Return, and it’s a pretty adore story. It’s benevolent of whimsical. It’s fair about grief and letting go and reuncovering yourself and moving on. So it’s pretty, and it’s a very branch offent movie from Smile 2, with a very branch offent character and a very branch offent tone.
***
Smile 2 is now joining in movie theaters.