ART THE CLOWN IS BACK: 'Terrifier 3' Eyes Late 2024 Release With A Way Bigger Budget And (Presumably) The Craziest Kills In Horror History

[Deadline]

"EXCLUSIVE: France-based distribution outfit The Coven is launching world sales on threequel Terrifier 3, following the breakout box office success of Terrifier 2. Writer-director Damien Leone and producer Phil Falcone will return to oversee the continuation of the franchise. Plot is being kept under wraps but David Howard Thornton (who plays Art The Clown) and Lauren LaVera (Sienna) are among cast expected to return. The Coven will serve as exec producer and is already getting interest from buyers. 

"Filming is expected to get underway in November or December of this year for release in late 2024. The threequel is understood to be getting a budget in the low-mid seven figure range, a significant increase on that of the sequel."

Just finished off a blog about how the entertainment content market is oversaturated, with streaming platforms' aggressive shortsighted spending sprees being a big factor. 

...Then you have the exploding Terrifier horror franchise. The second film released theatrically last year, and — you know I'm going to say it — MADE A KILLING.

In no small part because the character above, Art the Clown, is about the most menacing and, well, terrifying character you'll ever see grace the silver screen. Writer-director-producer-editor-SFX wizard Damien Leone made the first Terrifier on a $35,000 budget and gained a niche sort of cult following, setting the stage for Terrifier 2 to make $15.1 million at the box office against only a $250K budget.

More here on Terrifier 2 if you're interested for additional context. Don't think there are that many heavy spoilers if any.

I saw the first movie at a Halloween party with some of my acting school mates, and it's one of those where you're just actively YELLING at the TV like, "NO!!! OH…NO!!! AHHHH!!" And on that alone I had to see the second one, which was much more ambitious story-wise and upped the ante on Art's brutality. You can seriously watch these films just to laugh at them. They're so uniquely entertaining. Hard to find a genuine, singular viewing experience these days. That is what I found in the first two Terrifier flicks. That's the main reason why I think I'm so intrigued by it all, along with the actual production's innate underdog narrative.

You can even check out the first one in its entirety on YouTube for free.

Even if the horror genre isn't your jam, you have to respect the hustle from Leone and the Cinderella story that has been Terrifier's emergence from micro-budget obscurity to low-mid-seven-figure-budget threequel.  No spoilers about the Terrifier series to date here. What I will say is, you can tell it's self-aware about how ridiculous the kills unleashed by Art the Clown are. When you consider how strained Leone has always been by such modest financial resources, the fact that Terrifier 2 in particular found a sizable mainstream audience is a testament to Leone's artistic innovation and economical filmmaking.

How about this warning from the multi-hypenate Leone from Deadline's story?

"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."

I know, I know. You might not equate so-called torture porn — to be clear I think Terrifier transcends that derogatory jargon — or horror with high art traditionally. I'm telling you. Terrifier and Art the Clown are a different collective beast. More good news is that Terrifier 2 star Lauren LaVera is returning. She played the main protagonist Sierra in the OG sequel and anchored the movie with an excellent performance. That's another neat element about horror. You have to be so amped up, emotionally pliable and in a state of terror so often that some of the best, most underrated acting work out there arises from those projects.

We're in store for something truly mind-bending in Terrifier 3. All indications are that this trilogy-capper — I assume there will be more thereafter — is going to be the next big mega horror hit whether you agree with it or not. Just embrace the grindhouse gore, and get ready to see a lot of Art The Clowns running around on Halloween 2025. Unless they can get Terrifier across the line in time for a holiday release next year!

Twitter @MattFitz_gerald/TikTok