Summary
- The upcoming horror sequel Terrifier 3 will have a Christmas theme, with the terrifying Art the Clown haunting the holiday season.
- Terrifier 2 was highly praised by critics and became a must-watch for horror fans, setting high expectations for the upcoming installment.
- Director Damien Leone plans to make Terrifier 3 the scariest and most terrifying film in the franchise, aiming to recapture the spooky atmosphere of the original short film.
A new poster for the upcoming horror outing Terrifier 3 has now been officially released and reveals that the sequel will be a Christmas-themed horror movie. Which is no doubt exactly what fans of the series asked Santa for this year. The poster (which you can check out below) finds the terrifying tormentor Art the Clown wielding an ax, sporting a Santa hat, and standing in front of a Christmas tree, meaning that the mysterious monster will haunt the holiday season this time around.
Cineverse
The first Terrifier was released back in 2016, and re-introduced audiences to their new favorite movie maniac, Art the Clown (the character did originally appear in a 2011 short film and 2013’s horror anthology All Hallows’ Eve). While the first movie followed a simple horror story of partygoer Tara Heyes (Jenna Kanell) and her sister Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi) evading a mysterious serial killer (David Howard Thornton) who targets them on Halloween night, the follow-up, Terrifer 2, opened the franchise up to all sorts of new mythology and lore. As well as upping the stakes blood and gore-wise.
Both movies have been written and directed by Damien Leone, with last year’s Terrifier 2 being met with high praise from critics and quickly becoming a must-watch for horror fans.
“After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night,” the synopsis for Terrifier 2 reads.
But there’s much more to it than that, with the mystery of Art the Clown growing ever deeper, the blood being spilled ever more, and the introduction of a mystical sword suggesting far more supernatural things to come in Terrifier 3.
In a recent conversation with MovieWeb, Terrifier 3 director Damien Leone addressed the criticisms that have been leveled at his films due to their depiction of violence against women.
“I completely ignore it on a personal level because I’m the furthest thing from a misogynist, but violence against women is a powerful component of the slasher genre as is the final girl. This is the classic trope and it’s more profound than people give it credit for. Historically, men are more savage and more brutal than women. It’s the nature of man to battle one another, to conquer lands, to hunt, etc. A male psychopath attacking a vulnerable woman is more effective and more disturbing on many levels, in turn making the villain much more reprehensible. This makes the audience 10x more empathetic for your final girl, and it’s exhilarating to root for them.”
RELATED: Art the Clown: The True Story Behind the Terrifier Villain, Explained
First Terrifier 3 Teaser Debuted With Terrifier 2 Theatrical Re-Release
Director Damien Leone
Cast Felissa Rose, David Howard Thornton, Samantha Scaffidi, Griffin Santopietro, Tamara Glynn, Lauren LaVera
Main Genre Horror
Writers Damien Leone
It’s unknown exactly how Christmas will factor into Terrifier 3 but based on the new poster and what’s come before in the franchise, it’s likely to put a lot of moviegoers off their turkey. One thing we do know is that a new teaser for Terrifier 3 has debuted alongside the theatrical re-release of its predecessor. As director Damien Leone previously teased:
“For those of you speculating that the Terrifier 3 teaser is just gonna be some 20 second gimmick, I assure you it’s a legit teaser/trailer, it’s over 2 minutes long, and you’re gonna f****** love it. Exclusively in theaters November 1st!”
Leone, who returns to write and direct Terrifier 3, has also revealed his plans to make the sequel the most terrifying installment yet.
“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. If all goes as planned, part 3 will be the scariest Terrifier thus far.”
While the Terrifier franchise has suddenly seen its popularity soar, Leone does not plan for the series to go on forever, previously teasing that the fourth movie could be the last.
“I am writing ‘Terrifier 3’ as we speak. I definitely want to make at least one more. There may be two to tell this story and tackle all the ideas that I have in my head. Because there’s a lot more to explore with Art the Clown, the pale girl, Victoria, and certainly Sienna as our final girl. We will be following her journey to the end of this franchise.”
Terrifier 2 was re-released in theaters on November 1, 2023.
You can view the original article HERE.
