Some of the best horror movies in recent memory, admirably, represent how the genre has evolved over the years but, sometimes, it is even more refreshing to see a throwback to, for instance, the ‘80s slasher movie era. This is exactly what 2016’s Terrifier and its even more successful 2022 follow-up, Terrifier 2, are. Fans who cannot get enough of the grim, gritty, and unbelievably gory thrills that the series has delivered so far will be happy to know that a Terrifier 3 is on the prowl.
The threequel will mark the return of the silent but deadly, horrifying harlequin known as Art the Clown — a loving homage to the most iconic horror movie villains of yesteryear, but also a rare beast of brutality all his own who has single-handedly redefined just how viscerally unnerving and shocking creepy clown movies can be. The question of just how more terrifying this killer can get shall be answered when Terrifier 3 is released. When the blood will hit the screen next is the first detail we will reveal in our following guide to the one of the most highly anticipated upcoming horror movies below.
What Is The Terrifier 3 Release Date?
There are bound to be many horror fans dressed as Art the Clown come next Halloween when Terrifier 3 hits the big screen on Friday, October 11, 2024. It was announced at CinemaCon 2024, and reported exclusively by Variety, that Iconic Events Releasing is handling theatrical distribution of the film, in partnership with CineVerse and Bloody-Disgusting. It will later become exclusively available to stream on Screambox — an all-horror streaming platform from Bloody-Disgusting.
The previous two installments of the Terrifier franchise are set during the Halloween season, so it only makes sense that the threequel’s release date on our upcoming 2024 movies schedule occurs near the spookiest holiday of the year as well. Ironically, however, Terrifier 2’s 2023 theatrical re-release was a day late, returning to the screen on November 1.
David Howard Thornton Returns As Art The Clown
Many of the best slasher movies do not offer themselves the liberty to have recurring characters, and sometimes the main villain is even played by a different actor in each installment. However, neither is the case for the Terrifier 3 cast, which does also include a few exciting newcomers to this grim, ongoing tale.
David Howard Thornton (Art The Clown)
David Howard Thornton — the second actor to play Art the Clown, after Mike Gianelli in 2013's underrated anthology horror movie All Hallow’s Eve — is reprising the character in Terrifier 3. The killer clown is easily his best-known role to date, but the actor also played an especially evil version of The Grinch in 2022’s Dr. Seuss-inspired horror flick, The Mean One, and, after playing The Joker in the fan-made TV series Nightwing: Escalation, appeared in a Season 4 episode of Gotham.
Lauren LaVera (Sienna Shaw)
Also returning to lead the Terrifier 3 cast is Lauren LaVera as Sienna Shaw, who is considered by many fans to be one of the best horror movie final girls in years. The role made the actor one of the most acclaimed Scream Queens of her time – a reputation she has continued to honor with other forthcoming thrillers like The Well and The Fetus. Non-horror fans might also recognize her from Marvel’s Iron Fist TV show and the 2020 holiday rom-com, A Taste of Christmas, opposite Nia Vardalos, to name a few.
Elliott Fullam (Jonathan Shaw)
Sienna’s younger brother, Jonathan, is once again played by Elliott Fullam, who made his feature film debut in Terrifier 2. The young actor previously appeared in the CBS crime drama Instinct and the Emmy-nominated comedy series The Other Two and lent his voice to Apple TV+’s animated children’s program, Get Rolling with Otis. He later appeared in an episode of Peacock’s The Calling and has another horror flick in the works called The Pitchfork Retreat.
Samantha Scaffidi (Victoria Heyes)
The only Terrifer 3 cast member other than Thornton to appear in every installment so far is Samantha Scaffidi as Victoria Heyes, who survived Art’s tirade in the original and gave birth to his disembodied head at the end of the second chapter. She followed Terrifier with another horror flick called Demon Hole before taking smaller roles in movies like the acclaimed indie dramedy After Everything and a fantasy comedy about a man who turns into a woman called Sam.
Professional wrestler Chris Jericho reprises his role from Terrifier 2 as a psychiatric hospital security guard named Burke. Other highlights of his acting career include the beloved SNL movie, MacGruber, the third installment of the Sharknado series, and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot from 2019.
Daniel Roebuck (Santa Claus)
As Bloody-Disgusting exclusively reported, Santa Claus is coming to town in Terrifier 3, as played by Daniel Roebuck, whose previous horror credits include the first of the Final Destination movies and several Rob Zombie movies, including his version of The Munsters. He was also in 1993’s The Fugitive and its spin-off, U.S. Marshals, as Biggs and was part of the Lost cast for the first nine episodes.
Tom Savini
One Terrifier 3 actor whose role is currently undisclosed, but his involvement is extremely exciting, is Tom Savini – a special effects legend who worked on classics like Friday the 13th and Day of the Dead. He even appeared in one of George Romero’s zombie movies (Dawn of the Dead, as a biker), directed a 1990 remake of Night of the Living Dead, and also starred in films like From Dusk Till Dawn and even The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Art The Clown Will Slay Through The Christmas Season In Terrifier 3
While Terrifier 3 may be coming out just in time for Halloween, it will actually be the first installment to not take place around said holiday, but a more typically cheery time of year. As Bloody-Disgusting announced in early November 2023, the sequel is going to be a Christmas horror movie, following in the tradition of classic slashers like 1974’s Black Christmas or Silent Night, Deadly Night from 1984.
At the moment, more specific plot details are scarce, but franchise creator Damien Leone did tease a few of his intentions for its third chapter when speaking to THR. For instance, while Terrifier 2 was more of a supernatural story (which the filmmaker refers to as his A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors), he wants to “return to the grimy and more grounded tone of the first film” for part three. He also promises to explore some of the unresolved questions involving Sienna’s late father and his mysterious connections to Art.
The Terrifier 3 Trailer Warns That You Better Watch Out For Art
Days before Terrifier 2 returned to theaters, Damien Leone teased on social media that fans who attended the screenings were in for a surprise to follow the feature presentation. The special treat, as revealed by Bloody-Disgusting, was the first official trailer for Terrifier 3, which also served as an effective trick in the clever and alarming way it sneaks up on you — much like Art himself. Check out the “terrifying” teaser below:
The initial imagery of the clip feels like a preview for a festive family film like Miracle on 34th Street, as we see a little girl springing from her bed to see what is the matter on one Christmas Eve night and finding what appears to be Santa Claus laying gifts underneath the tree. But once she calls out his name, the soundtrack takes a dramatic dip as the man in red peers up to reveal that the creature stirring is Art the Clown, wielding a rusty ax and an unsettling grin. After a flash of the title card, we cut to a blood-soaked Art enjoying his milk and cookies, confirming to us that the only thing silent on this night will be the killer himself, as usual.
Damien Leone Is Writing And Directing Terrifier 3
The mastermind behind Art the Clown’s reign of carnage is Damien Leone, who is returning to dream up more nightmare fuel as both the writer and director of Terrifier 3. With some exceptions — such as Wes Craven helming the first four Scream movies before his passing — it is rare to see a classic horror franchise continue to be handled by its original director for more than one installment. Thus, it is exciting to know that Leone is not dumping the series into the hands of any fresh blood anytime soon.
The filmmaker — who made his feature-length debut with the aforementioned All Hallow’s Eve and followed it with 2015’s Frankenstein vs. the Mummy before launching the Terrifier franchise — told JoBlo that he intends to make this threequel independently, much like how the first two films were produced. He added that he was actually approached by several unnamed, high-profile Hollywood studios interested in funding Terrifier 3, but knew that they would never go for it based on his screenplay’s introductory scene alone. It’s both refreshing to see a filmmaker stand firmly by his creation, but also sends a chill down my spine in anticipation for that first kill.
Terrifier 3 Wrapped Filming In April 2024
According to Bloody-Disgusting, principal photography on Terrifier 3 is a wrap, as of April 2024. Damien Leone previously confirmed that the cameras started rolling only two months earlier with a behind-the-scenes photo posted to his Instagram showing David Howard Thornton in costume as Art.
Damien Leone Has Already Teased A Potential Fourth Chapter
Apparently, Art the Clown’s reign of terror might not end with Terrifier 3. When speaking to Insider earlier in 2023 — at the time he was still writing the threequel — Leone mentioned his desire to “make at least one more” to fully express all the ideas he has for this story.
In that same interview, the filmmaker revealed that he has a separate project in development at Ghost House Pictures — the production company founded by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert. He added that it was a thrill just to meet the creator of the Evil Dead movies, who is one of his personal heroes, but is keeping the details of their collaboration secret.
No matter how many times we see Art the Clown come back from the dead in another Terrifier sequel, the series has already established itself as one of the best horror movie franchises in recent memory by the wild success of its first two installments alone. For now, all we can do is wait in silence — like Art would — and see what sort of gory gifts are in store with Terrifier 3.
