AsTerrifier’s mute, sadistic killer Art the Clown prepares to bring his disturbing, if darkly comic, brand of horror to a Christmas setting in 2024, creatorDamien Leoneand starLauren LaVerahave been teasing details about the next horrifying installment.
During an interview withDeadline, Leone revealed that filming onTerrifier 3is expected to begin in February 2024, and noted that the story line has been set for some time. He said:
“The overall plot and structure of this franchise was pretty much cemented when I wrote Part 2, which is very comforting because it’s kind of scary to be lost in the woods, and be scrambling, and trying to figure out if there is a satisfying conclusion down the line and I feel like I do have one.”
Leone went on to tease the return of Chris Jericho in the sequel following his appearance in the asylum in the final moments of Terrifier 2. Similar to how the first two movies picked up directly from each other, Terrifier 3 will conclude the asylum scene, and will see “what mayhem unfolds” there.
For star Laura LaVera, who became an instantly iconic ‘Final Girl’ as Sienna, it has all been a pleasant surprise to be accepted into the category of ‘Scream Queen.’ She said:
“Evenbeing called a ‘Final Girl’ is such an honor to me, but Scream Queen is something I never thought I would attain. Damien had so much faith in and understanding of this character. It has been overwhelming, but in the best way.”
Related:Terrifier: Why the Gory Horror Franchise Is So Popular
The Terrifier Franchise Could Expand Beyond the Movies
Even with the movie heading into production, and more movies possibly in the pipeline, fans could be getting some all-new Art experiences in the future. Leone has shared his hopes to bring his sinister character to a live horror house and his own video game in the not too distant future.
TheTerrifierfranchise has been one of the biggest surprises of the last decade. Having originally released a sequel in 2022, the rise of Art the Clown became the stuff of horror legend, leading to re-releases of the movie in theaters, a bigger budget third movie heading into production and an endless potential for expansion. While discussingTerrifier 2’s re-release withScreen Rant, Leone revealed that there have “already been talks” about bringingthe horror of Art the Clownto both a haunted house experience and a video game format. He said:
“Oh, I would love it, and that’s a dream. I would love to have a house in Halloween Horror Nights. There’s already been talks of it over the years, so hopefully that becomes a reality because, like you said, there’s just so many cool environments, and now we’re adding all these cool characters besides Art the Clown, these other creepy characters that you could really put in there, it could be a really cool experience. Also, I would love a video game. He would lend himself so well to a video game like that, you could be trapped in the warehouse surviving from the original Terrifier or you could be in the Terrifier haunted attraction from the end of Terrifier 2, it could be so much fun. It would be cool to be Sienna, too, I think to be this hero fighting Art the Clown decked out in this armor, it’d be cool for the victim and the villain, it would be a great game, and there’s interest there too, so hopefully those happen in the near future.”
Related:Could Art the Clown Be a Lasting Horror Icon?
Does Terrifier Go Too Far With its Violence?
Art the Clown is a character that has been around for the same length of time as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but could not be further removed from the world’s biggest franchise in every way possible. Making his debut in 2008 short,The 9th Circle. Aiming to be one of themost evil clownsof a generation, Art subsequently appeared in the anthology movieAll Hallow’s Evein 2013, led his own movie in 2016’sTerrifierand then really took things to a new level in 2022’sTerrifier 2. Having murdered children, tortured women, and been linked to some ofthe most stomach-churning scenesin the last several decades, there are some who would question whether the franchise has pushed things a little too far.
Terrifier 2
But that is where theTerrifiermovies stand apart from many big budget studios offerings in the horror genre. An independent movie does not have quite the same level of restrictions to deal with, and for that reason alone, theTerrifiermovies have been able to go places that even some of the greatest horror movies have never been able to go to the same extreme level.
This is something that has been proven when Leone revealed that he had spoken with some “legit Hollywood Studios” about makingTerrifier 3. Despite the studios desperately wanting a piece of the action, Leone revealed that they all turned it down due tothe ultra-violent opening of the film, which it has been hinted involves the killing of a child on Christmas Eve. Leone explained previously:
“Before I even had a script, just based on the success of part 2, and just having meetings and getting the feel that I was going to have eyes over my shoulders, and they were concerned about the levels of gore and this and that. I knew, and not having seen my script or have any idea what I had in mind, I knew they weren’t going to let me make this movie based on the first five pages. Like that’s how insane Terrifier 3 is. So mark my words, I guarantee you the first 5 minutes of this movie is going to be very controversial. But that’s not even the big kill scene. So like that’s why I was like, I need to just make this movie on my own, because it’s just too… it’s too insane.”
Terrifier 3is set to be released on July 09, 2025. you may check out the first teaser for the movie below.
