Terrifier 3 is one of the most anticipated upcoming supernatural slasher-horrors, thanks in no small part to the breakout success of 2022’s Terrifier 2, and there have already been plenty of updates on what to expect from director Damien Leone’s next gore-filled shock fest. Led by the vicious Art the Clown, the Terrifier franchise has gradually gained a loyal following, with the bloodthirsty Art the Clown first appearing in the 2008 short film The 9th Circle. Art the Clown would later return in the 2013 anthology movie All Hallow’s Eve before finally getting his own movie in 2016’s Terrifier. However, it was Terrifier 2 that introduced many to Art the Clown and Leone’s twisted genius, and all the Terrifier 3 news so far indicates it will up the scale significantly to reflect this.
2016’s Terrifier was a low-key affair that didn’t gain much notice outside horror movie fan circles (although within them, it was widely discussed). Art the Clown returned to his old tricks again just in time for Halloween 2022 with Terrifier 2, with David Howard Thornton reprising the role of Art The Clown. Terrifier 2 has not only become a surprise horror hit but also one of the year’s most relentlessly scary and violent horror movies, with many reports of Terrifier 2 causing moviegoers to faint. With that kind of impact and even horror movie infamy associated with Terrifier 2, the world has not seen the last of Art the Clown’s sinister grin. Here is everything currently known about Art’s return in Terrifier 3 and what it could entail.
RELATED: The 9th Circle Short Introduced Black & White Killer Clown Art
Terrifier 3 Latest News
The most recent Terrifier 3 updates are extremely optimistic, as writer-director Damien Leone confirmed that Terrifier 3 will have a seven-figure budget. That’s still a huge range that will dictate the production value of the movie, as the budget could be anything between $1-9 million. Either way, based on the $250,000 budgeted Terrifier 2, Leone is an extremely resourceful filmmaker, and even a $1 million budget for Terrifier 3, four times Terrifier 2’s budget, would lead to a much bigger and gorier movie. Leone added, “If you thought Art the Clown’s reign of terror in part 2 was extreme, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
Writer-director Damien Leone has confirmed that he wrote Terrifier 2 with the express goal of following it up with Terrifier 3, Leone stated in an interview, “I had a Part 3 in mind when writing Part 2.” In the same interview, Leone spoke more on the future possibilities of Art the Clown’s killer clown madness, saying, “There are so many questions brought up in Part 2 that are not answered, and that was part of the design because I know I’m going into a Part 3.” Leone’s words clearly indicate that Terrifier 3 has always been on the cards. And Terrifier 2’s phenomenal success, making $15 million off a micro-budget of $250,000 (via Box Office Mojo) certified Terrifier 3.
Terrifier 3 Release Date
The have been no Terrifier 3 updates that confirm the threequel’s exact release date, but along with the news where director David Leone revealed the budget, he also revealed a tentative release window. Leone will start shooting Terrifier 3 at the end of 2023, and he expects the movie to be released at the end of 2024. Late 2024 could be any time between September 1 and December 31, so an October release date is extremely likely. That’ll mean that gap between Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 will be just over 2 years, which is a much shorter gap than the two years between Terrifier and Terrifier 2.
Terrifier 2’s Box Office Explained (& How It Can Help Sequel’s Chances)
Terrifier 2 was a huge 2022 horror success, as it was initially released in just 886 theaters across North America, pulling in $805,000 in its opening weekend, already making it a box office success against the film’s tiny $250,000 budget. Terrifier 2 then climbed to $1 million in its second weekend as word of mouth spread about the film, which continued throughout October 2022. Having earned more than $15 million, Terrifier 2 has become a true hit, massively overperforming, and Terrifier 2 helped the franchise earn its reputation of frightening audiences. As a result, Terrifier 3 could become a true box office phenomenon.
Related: Why Terrifier 2’s Bedroom Scene Is So Controversial
Terrifier 3 Cast
There haven’t been many significant updates about the Terrifier 3 cast yet, but the ending of Terrifier 2 made many returning faces a near guarantee. Art the Clown will return to rival Pennywise in Terrifier 3, which also seems to be the case for Victoria, so Samantha Scaffidi can be expected to return too. Amelie McLain will also likely be back as The Little Pale Girl, while Lauren LaVera is confirmed to return as Sienna along with Thornton (via Bloody Disgusting), and Elliot Fullam could also possibly return as Jonathan. Then again, with the extremely traumatic events Terrifier 2 put them through, Terrifier 3 might give them a break and bring in some new protagonists. In any case, Art the Clown’s talent for terror will surely bring more scares in Terrifier 3. The big question, of course, is whether Sienna’s Dad, teased throughout Terrifier 2, will have a presence in Terrifier 3. If he does, there’s been no casting news that indicates who could play him – although a male actor in an unspecified role could be a big hint about the plot Damien Leone doesn’t want to give away just yet.
Related: Terrifier 2: Who Is Sienna’s Dad & What’s His Connection To Art The Clown?
Terrifier 3 Story Details
In Terrifier 2, the horror movie’s ending sees Art the Clown brutally beheaded by Sienna, with his killing associate, credited as “The Little Pale Girl” (Amelie McLain) picking up Art’s head and leaving with it. Later, Terrifier 2‘s end-credits scene shows the first Terrifier‘s surviving victim Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) literally giving birth to Art’s head in a mental institution. With Art’s still living head grinning at the horrified nurse, even decapitation clearly is not enough to stop Art the Clown, and the supernatural return of the new horror movie icon is already set in motion for Terrifier 3.
Outside of the sequel hints in Terrifier 2’s ending, no Terrifier 3 updates have revealed anything regarding the story. However, in terms of what audiences can expect to see in the threequel, Leone promised that Terrifier 3 will be the scariest movie yet, and that the franchise will turn to its roots, being more like the original short film. The director explained, “One of my main goals for Terrifier 3 is to recapture the creep factor present in the original Terrifier short film. That had a genuinely spooky atmosphere that I’m still proud of.“
Related: Terrifier 2 Was Written to Include Teases for Terrifier 3
Terrifier 3 Trailer
Terrifier 3 updates are few and far between at this time, as the movie hasn’t even entered production yet, and that means that won’t be a trailer available for a long time. If the movie is released around Halloween 2024, which is looking likely, the first trailer will probably be released in mid-July 2024, as teaser trailers are generally released around three months before a movie’s release. When the film enters production at the end of 2023, behind-the-scenes images will be revealed, but any sign of Terrifier 3 trailer is still a year away.
