Terrifier 3 Set To Make Horror History

This time, Art is coming for Christmas and he doesn’t seem quite as stoked on it as fellow Halloween icon Jack Skellington. In Terrifier 3, Art will strike when the citizens of Miles County are least expecting it – during a quiet and peaceful Christmas Eve. A blood-soaked battle royale is set to take center stage in Damien Leone’s third film in the now beloved horror franchise. 

Consistently outdoing itself, we do not doubt that Damien Leone and his creative team will do so again with Terrifier 3. The first film in the franchise arrived in 2016 and became a cult classic despite celebrating only a limited theatrical release. In the film, Jenna Kanell stars as Tara Heyes, a young woman who inexplicably, along with her sister (Samantha Scaffidi), becomes the hunted victim of the serial killer, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).

The first film quickly picked up by word of mouth, especially for those in the horror community, as it stood out from other slasher productions coming out of Hollywood. Specifically, the franchise takes its kill scenes to an ultimate gross-out level, something that Leone is promising to take even farther in Terrifier 3.

Although fans had to wait six years, their persistence and dedication finally paid off in 2022 when Terrifier 2 scared its way into cinemas. Again, Art the Clown rained down merciless brutality on his victims, with some audiences unable to make it through the film, and others even getting physically ill. Against its $250,000 production budget, the second installment raked in $11 million, making it a no-brainer for the team to round it out with a trilogy in Terrifier 3. 

While there are lots of pieces that have made the films the success that they are, the work of David Howard Thornton as the sinister and sadistic Art the Clown put it in a genre of its own. Taking his talents to another horror production, viewers who tuned in for The Mean One (a horror spin-off of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas!), will recognize Thornton’s work as the titular slasher. Of course, Thornton is expected to reprise his role as Art in Terrifier 3.

Already setting itself apart from the two films that paved the groundwork, Terrifier 3 will shake things up with its setting of Christmas time. The prior movies were set on Halloween, which made perfect sense for the project’s subject matter. With a release date in sight, fans can begin to speculate what twisted horrors await the residence of Miles County when Art the Clown returns to spread the holiday cheer. Be sure to get your barf bag now!