Terrifier 3 is the film that has been on every horror fan’s lips following the runaway success of the second film in the franchise. From his humble roots in the short film The 9th Circle to his feature film debut in All Hallows Eve, Art the Clown has become a genre icon in his own right alongside demonic clown greats Pennywise and those intergalactic Killer Klowns.
Director Damien Leone set the ball of the franchise rolling with the release of Terrifier in 2016, following the short film of the same name in 2011. Leone first introduced the demonic clown as he preyed on the residents of the fictitious Miles County, New York, including Tara (Jenna Kannell), Dawn (Catherine Corcoran), and Vicky (Samantha Scaffidi), who found themselves stalked by Art (David Howard Thornton) on Halloween night.
Following its premiere at the Telluride Horror Show Film Festival, Terrifier became an instant cult hit, but it was with Terrifier 2 that Leone and team shot to stratospheric heights.
The second installment in the Terrifier world saw Art return, this time with a quirky and (dare we say it) cute companion, the Little Pale Girl (Amelie McLain), who was as bloodthirsty and fun-loving as her counterpart.
Terrifier 2 took place following the events of Terrifier, known as the Miles County Massacre, with Art summoned back to the city following an occult ritual. This time, he stalks teenager Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera), who it is revealed is destined to be the hero needed to vanquish Art for good.
Leone launched an Indiegogo campaign with a $50,000 goal to finance the practical-effects-driven film after creating the first Terrifier film on a budget of just $38,000. The fundraiser smashed its target over and over, hitting $250,000.
Following its premiere at FrightFest, the director could not have predicted the cultural impact Terrifier 2 would have not just on genre audiences, but the world. The indie film hit headlines across the globe due to its gory scenes and gratuitous violence, which of course, drove more and more people to watch it.
Fueled by tales of people passing out and vomiting while watching, the Terrifier team had a firestorm on their hands. Terrifier 2 grossed a whopping $15 million worldwide, proving once again that horror can bring audiences to the theater and that with support behind them, the sky really is the limit for indie filmmakers.
Naturally, anticipation is high for Terrifier 3 as Art gears up for his next deranged killing spree – and this time, it’s festive. So, while we wait to find out if the angel warrior can save Miles County from the clutches of the (at present, headless) Art, FANGORIA gives you all the details you need to know about Terrifier 3.
Terrifier 3 Overview
After the mayhem of Terrifier and Terrifier 2, everyone is wondering how Leone could possibly top all of his gory triumphs in Terrifier 3. The official synopsis for the film reads: “In the third installment of Damien Leone’s breakout horror film, Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.”
Main plot details have been kept heavily under wraps, but Leone has hinted that something more will come of The Pale Girl in Terrifier 3 (per Variety).
In the same interview, he opened up on Sienna’s ‘crucial’ importance to the third film: “There are a lot of interesting things that are going to be brought up with that character and her trajectory. I know there were a lot of things thrown at the audience in this movie [Terrifier 2] and it sort of unravels like a nightmare, but nothing was thrown in just arbitrarily for the sake of being weird. Everything means something, and it’s all going to make sense, for sure.
“I kind of regret doing this, but I recorded a director’s commentary for the Blu-ray and I actually did explain a lot of stuff that I shouldn’t have. People might want to check that out because they’ll definitely get some spoilers as to what’s going on.”
One big question mark over Terrifier 3 will be whether it reveals the seemingly supernatural nature of Art. Terrifier 2 begins with the antagonist being summoned during a strange ceremony, and it ends spectacularly after Art’s first surviving victim, Victoria, gives birth to his living, grinning head while in a mental institution.
This, (I’m sure we don’t need to tell you), is wildly against the laws of nature and points in the direction of otherworldly powers and origins for the comedic villain.
Release Date Revelations
Terrifier 3 is set to be released on October 25, 2024, in the US, with Leone kicking off production at the latter end of 2023, sharing some behind-the-scenes snaps of Art the Clown.
It comes two years after the release of Terrifier 2, which hit our screens on October 6, 2022, and more than six years since Terrifier’s release date, March 15, 2018.
Speaking to Deadline last year, Leone shared that filming for Terrifier 3 will begin in February 2024: “We are in pre-production right now. We’re going to start shooting in two months, beginning of February. So, we’re in the thick of it. We’re assembling our crew; we’re still casting; we’re getting locations in order; special effects are being created; and we’re still working on drafts. It could always be better and tighter: I never stop doing that all the way through production. I’m finally getting to the stage where I’m very excited about it. We’re about to make a movie again, which is my childhood fantasy come true.”
Following its theatrical run, Terrifier 3 (and the entire Terrifier franchise, for that matter) will be available to stream on Screambox.
Cast Unveiled
David Howard Thornton will be donning the black and white grease paint yet again as he reprises his role as Art. While he didn’t star as the iconic clown in The 9th Circle, the 2011 Terrifier short film, or All Hallows Eve, Thornton has become synonymous with the role following the runaway success of the feature-length Terrifier franchise.
He recently branched out into the world of Christmas films (yes, really) as he appeared in the 2022 holiday horror film The Mean One, based on The Grinch (that’s more like it).
Lauren LaVera will return to her role of heroine Sienna Shaw after being introduced to the franchise in Terrifier 2. Speaking to Deadline, LaVera expressed how excited she was to be return to the horror film: “Above all else, I really love this character. We’ve been discussing what the character’s mindset is after everything she went through in the last movie. Damien’s really fun to work with and he’s always been open to improvisation on set.”
Elliot Fullam will also return as her brother Jonathan, and Samantha Scaffidi will reprise her role as Victoria Heyes. It is thought that Amelie McLain will also return to her role as The Little Pale Girl.
An unexpected return to the third film is WWE icon Chris Jericho, who appeared briefly in the second film as Burke, an attendant at the psychiatric hospital where Victoria is being held.
In the same chat with Deadline, Leone shared what fans can expect of Jericho and Scaffidi’s characters in Terrifier 3, while also teasing another major addition to the cast: “There are a few new major characters introduced in three, one in particular that it’s too soon for me to announce… What I think I can say at this stage is that Chris Jericho is going to be returning. He’s super excited. This one is going to pick up where part two left off, in the insane asylum, so, you’re going to see what transpires there, what mayhem unfolds, because seeing how Art and Victoria ended up, is so insane, and seeing how they get out of that situation and what happens next is going to be really wild. So, we have to get Chris back in there and see how he becomes a part of that situation.”
While filming Terrifier 2, Jericho shared that the experience on the horror film almost made him vomit – and with Leone promising more splatter than ever in the third film, the wrestler will have to adopt a stomach of steel.
Trailers and Teasers
Lucky fans who saw Terrifier 2 when it returned to cinemas in November got a first glimpse of the next installment when a clip was shown to a (somewhat) unsuspecting audience.
In just two minutes, the Terrifier 3 teaser trailer gave fans plenty to talk about as they plunged into a festive flick complete with blankets of snow, twinkling Christmas lights, and jolly ol’ Saint Nick delivering presents.
Only, it’s not Santa Claus under the tree; it’s a bloodied and ax-wielding Art – though he does get into the milk and cookies in classic, playful Terrifier style.
What really got some viewers enraged was the inclusion of a child walking down the wooden hills to discover Art in their home before cutting to a scene of Art guzzling down his sweet treats with blood splattered across the walls of the family home, suggesting that we could see the youngster brutalized in the same style as the infamous bedroom kill.
Leone has promised controversy in the film’s opening scene, telling Joblo: “The first like five minutes of this movie, a studio would never let me film what I plan on filming. So mark my words, I guarantee you the first 5 minutes of this movie is going to be very controversial.”
Similarly, he told Deadline at the time of the film’s announcement: “Terrifier 3 will be another boundary-pushing addition to the horror genre, continuing the no holds barred, uncompromising exploits fans of the franchise have come to expect and celebrate. If you thought Art the Clown’s reign of terror in Part 2 was extreme, you haven’t seen ANYTHING yet.”
And with a much larger budget of $5 million, this seems entirely possible.
Summary
Of all the incredible genre titles coming to our screens in 2024, Terrifier 3 is arguably one of the most anticipated. From a tiny indie film to a franchise on everyone’s lips – and not just horror fans – Leone and his team proved once and for all that an underdog can come out on top and that backing independent creators can pay off in dividends.
The unbelievable success of Terrifier 2 put a spotlight on the world of horror, introducing the unique blend of extreme gore and pitch-black humor to a whole new audience.
Some despised it and called for the film to be banned, while others found a new appreciation for our weird and wonderful world. But love it or hate it, one thing is for certain – so many more millions of people know what Terrifier is than they did only six years ago when the first film was released.
And it feels like Leone isn’t about to change the formula that has worked so well in the films so far, bringing his signature blend of blood-soaked depravity with a cheeky dose of belly laughs to the big screen – if the teaser trailer for Terrifier 3 is anything to go by, at least.
But with familiar faces joined by brand new stars and the promise of a film that pushes boundaries even further than before, there’s a palpable air of excitement tinged with the sort of dread that comes with knowing that you will experience something stomach-churning – just what many horror fans crave.
Terrifier is streaming on Peacock and Tubi, you can watch Terrifier 2 on Screambox.
