"Smile" is now creepily smiling to the bank

4 Oct – Paramount's new horror "Smile" has topped the US box office this weekend with a USD 22 million gain.

The movie, which went viral recently for its creepy-yet-successful marketing, became the best opening since "Bullet Train" back in August, besting other contenders that include the Viola Davis-starrer, "The Woman King" and Olivia Wilde's controversial "Don't Worry Darling".

"This is an excellent opening, the kind that launches a new horror series," said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

You don't need to stare to get the kids to behave when a smile will do

"Smile" stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist, who finds her life turned upside down after treating a graduate student who witnessed a gruesome suicide.

It is noted that the movie made headlines last week when its marketing team, led by Marc Weinstock (who oversaw the campaign for "Deadpool" when he was at 20th Century Fox), decided to hire several people to smile creepily at several major league baseball games as well as talk shows.

Yes, we still remember this creepy woman

She tells you to 'smile'

Looks like the marketing campaign is working