Terrifier 3 director unveils new details about what will become a controversial opening scene. Directed by Damien Leone, the Terrifier series follows stories of the sadistic killer named Art the Clown. Terrifier 2 became a breakout hit in 2022 despite its minimal publicity, leaving Leone and the team to develop Terrifier 3.
Speaking with JoBlo Celebrity Interviews, Leone reveals details about the upcoming Terrifier 3’s opening sequence.
Leone revealed that there were several studios interested in making Terrifier 3 “just based on the success of part two.” Leone realized, however, that Hollywood studios “weren’t going to let [him] make this movie based on the first five pages,” due to an opening scene that he figures will be “very controversial.” Maintaining this opening scene was part of Leone’s impetus to keep Terrifier 3 independent from studios. Check out the quote from Leone below:
I remember having meetings with people. I got to meet with studios, like legit Hollywood studios, who wanted to make Terrifier 3. But 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.
The first like 5 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. 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.
Why It’s Good Terrifier 3 Is Independent From A Hollywood Studio
Made on a paltry $250,000 budget, Terrifier 2’s success was an overwhelming surprise. Terrifier 2 made back its budget and more when it grossed over $15 million at the worldwide box office, a shockingly high figure for a micro-budget film. Thus, it comes as no surprise when studios wanted to jump at the film, as Hollywood likely thought that they could make something even bigger out of the low-budget franchise.
Also defining Terrifier 2’s legacy, however, is the shocking levels of gore that the film featured. Despite its assumedly low special effects budget, Terrifier 2 is populated by blood and shocking gore as Art the Clown goes on his killing spree. The level of blood and gore in Terrifier 2 is beyond what most Hollywood studios would conventionally accept.
Maintaining Terrifier 3’s studio independence is vital for the film to be able to continue the gory legacy of the first two Terrifier films. As Leone indicates, making Terrifier 3 with a Hollywood studio would run the risk of sanitizing it. That is, even studios who are not gore-shy might have “eyes over [Leone’s] shoulders” and encourage the director to alter the film to more mainstream-acceptable levels. Luckily, Leone refused to let that happen, and Terrifier 3 will feature extreme gore from the opening scene and beyond.
