It’s time for Game 2 of the #NLCS at Dodger Stadium and we are streaming the top of the 1st for you LIVE. Watch the remainder of Mets-Dodgers on @MLBONFOX. https://t.co/BtfLF4KzFj
— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2024
Fans watching Game 2 of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets on Monday got an unexpected scare. Two people wearing neon yellow shirts sat behind home plate, constantly smiling and showing little interest in the game. It turns out these “smilers” are part of a marketing campaign for the upcoming horror movie sequel “Smile 2.” Paramount, the studio behind the film, used a similar publicity stunt when the first “Smile” movie came out in 2022.
The original “Smile” centers around people who eerily grin after being taken over by a mysterious entity. The sequel, “Smile 2,” follows global pop sensation Skye Riley as she experiences increasingly terrifying events.
There's a lot on the line in Game 2 between the Mets and Dodgers 😳 #NLCS pic.twitter.com/GteiheQ8e8
— MLB (@MLB) October 14, 2024
Overwhelmed by the horrors and pressures of fame, she must confront her dark past to regain control of her life.
Mark Vientos 'took it personal' and made the Dodgers pay in Mets' NLCS Game 2 win
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) October 15, 2024
Before the premiere of the first movie, actors portraying creepy smilers appeared at several MLB stadiums as part of the marketing strategy. “Smile 2” is set to hit theaters on Oct.
Smile 2 marketing spooks baseball crowd
18, coinciding with the MLB’s NLCS and ALCS. During Monday’s game, the smilers were captured on camera by ESPN. In one notable moment, a foul ball flew behind home plate, causing one actor to momentarily break character while the other remained unsettlingly composed.
“She didn’t even flinch,” ESPN’s caption noted. The director of the first “Smile” movie, Parker Finn, praised the organic growth of these promotional stunts. He told Entertainment Weekly, “It was just instantly everywhere.
Kudos for them for their terrific idea.”
As anticipation builds for the sequel, it’s clear that “Smile 2” is set to leave audiences both in theaters and at ball games unable to escape its haunting smiles. The Dodgers ended up losing Monday’s game to the Mets 7-3, tying the best-of-7 series 1-1.
