Parker Finn

Parker Finn
Born	(1987-03-18) March 18, 1987 (age 38) Bath, Ohio, U.S.
Occupations	Film director producer screenwriter
Years active	2018–present

Parker J. Finn (born March 18, 1987) is an American filmmaker. Finn wrote and directed the horror films Smile (2022) and its sequel Smile 2 (2024).

Early life

Finn was born on March 18, 1987, in Bath, Ohio. ^{[1] [2]} He attended the University of Colorado Boulder, then attended Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, where he received a screenwriting MFA in 2011. ^{[3] [4]}

Career

Finn's 2018 short film The Hidebehind screened at Panic Fest and the Portland Horror Film Festival in 2019. ^{[5] [6]} Finn filmed Laura Hasn't Slept at Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Art's Stage B. The short won the Special Jury Award at SXSW 2020. ^[4] Finn's first feature film, Smile , was based on his short film Laura Hasn't Slept. ^[7] Smile became 2022's top grossing original horror film. ^[8] In 2023, Finn entered a multi-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures to write, produce, and direct additional feature films. ^[8] That same year, he founded the production company Bad Feeling. ^[9] He returned to write and direct Smile 2 , which was released in 2024. ^[10] In June 2024, it was reported that Finn would write and direct a remake of the 1981 psychological horror film Possession . ^[11]

Filmography

Feature films

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Other	Notes
2018	The Night Sitter	No	No	No	Yes	Kickstarter donor
2022	Smile	Yes	Yes	No	No	Feature directorial debut
2024	Smile 2	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Cameos as a photographer
2026	Smile 3	Yes	Yes	No	No	Pre-production

Short films

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Notes
2014	Silk	No	No	No	Special thanks
2018	The Hidebehind	Yes	Yes	No
2020	Laura Hasn't Slept	Yes	Yes	Yes

Actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2025	The Studio	Himself	Episode: The War

References

1. Thomas, George. "Filmmaker Parker Finn, a Bath native, hopes to scare people with his 'Smile'". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
2. Benson, John (September 29, 2022). "Bath native and horror filmmaker Parker Finn discusses feature debut, 'Smile'". Cleveland.com . Archived from the original on October 17, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
3. Arp, Dennis (November 29, 2022). "As His Debut Feature Surpasses $200 Million, Parker Finn (MFA '11) Has Lots of Reasons to 'Smile'". Chapman University. Chapman University Newsroom. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
4. Betz, Izzy (September 30, 2022). "Smile: Parker Finn Finding His "True North"". Chapman University. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
5. Casady, Megan (January 30, 2019). "Panic Fest Short Film Review: THE HIDEBEHIND (2018)". Nightmarish Conjurings. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
6. Hawkins, Andrew (June 11, 2019). "Interview: Parker Finn on 'The Hidebehind'". Trouble City. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
7. Navarro, Meagan (September 30, 2022). "'Smile' Writer/Director Parker Finn on the Film's Practical Effects and Horror Influences". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
8. Lang, Brent (March 15, 2023). "Paramount Signs First-Look Deal With 'Smile' Writer and Director Parker Finn". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
9. Kit, Borys (October 4, 2023). "'Smile' Filmmaker Parker Finn Launches Genre Production Banner Bad Feeling (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
10. Fuge, Jonathan (April 27, 2023). "Smile 2 Officially Announced by Paramount at CinemaCon". MovieWeb. Retrieved April 27, 2023.
11. Kit, Borys (June 12, 2024). "Robert Pattinson, 'Smile' Filmmaker Parker Finn Team for Remake of '80s Horror Movie 'Possession' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 12, 2024.

External links

• Parker Finn at IMDb