Terrifier 3 Release Date, Cast, Storyline, Trailer Release, And Everything You Need to Know
The Terrifier franchise has quickly become one of the most exciting and terrifying horror series ever. After the massive success of Terrifier 2 in 2022, fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of the demented killer clown Art the Clown. Their patience will be rewarded when Terrifier 3 hits theaters on October 11, 2024, just in time for the holiday season. This latest installment in the franchise promises to be the darkest and most disturbing yet, as Art sets his sights on ruining Christmas for the unsuspecting residents of Miles County.
Terrifier 3 Release Date:
Terrifier 3 was initially scheduled to be released on October 25, 2024, but it has been moved up by two weeks to October 11, 2024. This earlier release date is likely due to the massive success of Terrifier 2, which became a surprise horror hit in 2022. The film, made on a shoestring budget of just $250,000, grossed over $15 million at the box office, far exceeding expectations.
With Terrifier 3 now set to hit theaters in the prime Halloween season, expectations are high that the film could become a genuine box office phenomenon. Director Damien Leone has hinted that the threequel will have a significantly larger budget than its predecessors, allowing him to take the franchise to new heights of visceral horror. Fans can expect the film to push once again the boundaries of what’s acceptable in a mainstream slasher, delivering the gory, boundary-pushing kills that have become the series’ calling card.
Terrifier 3 Storyline:
While plot details for Terrifier 3 are still under wraps, we know that the film will take place during the holiday season, with Art the Clown unleashing his murderous rampage on an unsuspecting town on Christmas Eve. This shift in setting from the previous films’ Halloween backdrops is an intentional choice by director Damien Leone, who has long wanted to put his twisted spin on the holiday horror subgenre.
“I’ve always wanted to do my spin on the maniac Santa Claus,” Leone told Bloody Disgusting. “That’s just such a classic archetypal horror trope.” The director has cited his love for a classic Tales from the Crypt episode featuring a psychotic Santa Claus as a critical inspiration for Terrifier 3’s holiday setting.
Fans can also expect Terrifier 3 to pick up immediately following the previous film’s events, with the story delving deeper into the mysteries surrounding Art the Clown’s origins and his connection to the Shaw family. Leone has promised that the third installment will feel “more epic” than Terrifier 2 while also recapturing the “gritty, old-school slasher” tone of the original Terrifier. Judging by the director’s penchant for over-the-top gore and boundary-pushing violence, Christmas in Miles County will surely be a bloody affair.
Terrifier 3 Cast Members:
David Howard Thornton will again don the terrifying clown makeup to reprise his role as Art the Clown, the series’ silent but deadly villain. Thornton’s chilling portrayal of Art has become iconic, with the actor’s ability to convey pure menace through physicality alone making him a standout among modern horror icons.
Joining Thornton are several returning cast members from the previous Terrifier films. Lauren LaVera will return as Sienna Shaw, the resilient final girl who faced against Art in Terrifier 2. Elliot Fullam is also back as Sienna’s younger brother, Jonathan. Samantha Scaffidi will reprise her role as Victoria Heyes, the sole survivor of Art’s original killing spree, whose story will likely play a more significant role in the third installment.
The Terrifier 3 cast will also feature some high-profile new additions. Professional wrestler Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, will return in a more substantial role as a psychiatric hospital security guard named Burke. Horror icon Tom Savini, known for his groundbreaking special effects work on films like Friday the 13th and Dawn of the Dead, is set to appear in an undisclosed role. And veteran character actor Daniel Roebuck, whose credits include Rob Zombie’s Halloween films and The Munsters, will play Santa Claus himself.
Terrifier 3 Creators Team:
As with the previous Terrifier films, Terrifier 3 is the creation of writer-director Damien Leone. Leone has been the driving force behind the franchise since its inception, introducing the character of Art the Clown in his 2013 anthology film All Hallows’ Eve. He then brought the killer clown to life in the original Terrifier in 2016 before helming the massively successful Terrifier 2 in 2022.
Leone again serves as writer and director for the third installment, determined to maintain his singular vision for the series. In interviews, the filmmaker has expressed his desire to keep Terrifier 3 independent, turning down offers from major Hollywood studios who wanted to get involved. Leone felt that their notes and demands would have compromised the intensity and gore that has become the franchise’s trademark.
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“I got to meet with legit Hollywood studios, who wanted to make ‘Terrifier 3,'” Leone told JoBlo. “They were concerned about the levels of gore and this and that. … I knew they wouldn’t let me make this movie based on the first five pages. Like that’s how insane ‘Terrifier 3’ is.”
Instead, Terrifier 3 is being produced independently by Leone’s Dark Age Cinema and Fuzz on the Lens Productions, with distribution handled by Cineverse (formerly Cinedigm). This autonomy has allowed Leone to push the boundaries even further, with the director promising that the third film will be the “scariest and the darkest” in the trilogy.
Where to Watch Terrifier 3?
When Terrifier 3 hits theaters on October 11, 2024, moviegoers will have the option to experience Art the Clown’s latest killing spree on the big screen. The film will receive a wide theatrical release through Cineverse, the distribution company behind Terrifier 2’s successful 2022 run.
Following its initial theatrical run, Terrifier 3 will become exclusively available to stream on Screambox, an all-horror streaming platform operated by Bloody Disgusting. This partnership between Cineverse and Screambox mirrors the release strategy used for Terrifier 2, which also had a Screambox streaming debut after its theatrical release.
For fans who want to catch up on Art the Clown’s previous murderous exploits before diving into Terrifier 3, the first two films in the franchise are currently available to stream on various platforms. Terrifier can be found on Peacock and Tubi, while Terrifier 2 can be rented on Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, and other digital retailers.
Terrifier 3 Trailer Release Date:
While Terrifier 3 is over a year away from its theatrical debut, eager fans have already tasted the horrors. In November 2023, director Damien Leone and the Terrifier crew released the first teaser trailer for the film, and it did not disappoint.
The eerie teaser opens on a peaceful Christmas Eve, with a young child excitedly going downstairs to catch a glimpsglimpseBut instead of the jolly old elf, the child finds a horrifying sight – Art the Clown, dressed in a Santa costume and holding a rusty ax, snacking on milk and cookies. The trailer then cuts to the Terrifier 3 title card, setting the tone for the holiday havoc.
While the teaser doesn’t reveal much in plot details, it effectively showcases the juxtaposition of the Christmas setting with Art’s brutal, bloody rampage that fans have come to expect from the franchise. The brief glimpse of the killer clown covered in crimson will surely have viewers squirming in anticipation for the full-length trailer and the film’s release.
Terrifier 3 Final Words:
With its gritty, old-school slasher sensibilities and Art the Clown’s instantly iconic status as a modern horror villain, the Terrifier franchise has firmly established itself as one of the must-see horror series of the 21st century. And if Damien Leone’s promises about Terrifier 3 are any indication, the third installment is poised to be the most uncompromising and terrifying chapter yet.
By shifting the action to the Christmas season, Leone is putting a twisted spin on a classic horror trope, sure to delight genre fans looking for something more provocative than the usual holiday fare. With a diverse and talented cast, including the return of fan favorites like David Howard Thornton and Lauren LaVera, Terrifier 3 seems primed to deliver the same level of boundary-pushing, stomach-churning horror that made its predecessors such cult sensations.
Whether you’re a long-time Terrifier devotee or a newcomer to the franchise, the October 11, 2024, release of Terrifier 3 is undoubtedly a date that should be circled on every horror fan’s calendar. Art the Clown is back; this time, he’s bringing a lot of dark holiday cheer.
