Filmmaker Damien Leone mainly caused a stir in genre circles with the first “Terrifier” in 2016, but managed to start a small cult, especially around the horror clown Art (David Howard Thornton), who caused fear and terror in the slasher. With the sequel “Terrifier 2” six years later, Leone landed a real hit, which was not only bloodier, but also much more competent than its predecessor.
Not least because of the drastic murder scenes and the accompanying audience reaction to them, “Terrifier 2” became a viral phenomenon, collecting no less than 60 times (!) its budget of $ 250,000 at the box office. No wonder a third part is coming. And for that is director and author Damien Leone actually planning to raise the bar when it comes to the level of violence…
‘I can’t disappoint the fans’
From the magazine Leone was recently asked if he felt compelled to outdo himself with the brutality in “Terrifier 3” – to which the director firmly confirmed: “Sometimes I have sleepless nights where I think, ‘Oh my God, I must be fans of this franchise’ Leone said . “They always expect the next big murder scene, the next big bloodthirsty sequence.”
How then is he supposed to top the saw scene from part 1 or the no less infamous bed scene from part 2? The filmmaker apparently has at least a rough idea of this. Another brutal torture scene was planned for part 1, which was planned right after the scene with the saw, but combined with that, according to Leone, it would have just been too much for the audience. But now he could pick it up again in part 3. Besides Also, about a month ago, he came out with a new hardcore scene that he says has the potential to become the next bedroom murder scene everyone will be talking about.
He did not go into further detail, but made it clear that the end of the splattering flagpole is probably not yet reached: “I always want to reach for the stars and see if I can surpass myself again compared to my predecessor.” Although it is always subjective whether this goal has actually been achieved in the end, Leone certainly wants to try. There should be no lack of money (this time) to carry out these ambitious, bloody plans. It has been known for some time that “Terrifier 3” will have more budget available after the huge success of the second part (although it is still unclear how much exactly).
Art the Clown should be scarier again
But that’s not the only way Damien Leone hopes to make “Terrifier 3” an even more disturbing experience. He also wants the killer at the center of the action to be seen as creepier again, now that an even bigger cult has grown around him: “I wouldn’t want the public to feel as comfortable with Art the Clown as they do now . . I want to see if I can really make them afraid of him again,” Leone explains.
In the course of this, part 3 should once again draw a wider arc towards the simpler and darker beginnings of the trilogy: “It should have a slightly more evil vibe, so hopefully it will be the scariest and darkest part.”
In a little over a year, we’ll find out if Damien Leone will actually achieve what he set out to do with the horror sequel and if Art the Clown will actually shock even more viewers with even nastier murders. “terrier 3is scheduled to hit theaters in Fall 2024.