As Smile 2 continues scaring up bigger audiences than its popular predecessor at the global and domestic box offices, director Parker Finn is providing some insight into the decisions that went into the making of his horror sequel.

Smile director Parker Finn confirmed he cast Ray Nicholson in the sleeper hit sequel, due to his striking resemblance to his father Jack, who starred in the 1980s horror The Shining. Ray, 32, is the son of Jack and former actor and model Rebecca Broussard.

Smile 2 director Parker Finn cast Jack Nicholson's son Ray Nicholson in his new movie to pay homage to his father's horror classic The Shining. The director confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that he "totally" cast Ray because his smile looks eerily similar to his father's iconic crazed look in the "Here's Johnny" sequence in the 1980 horror.