It looks like the cult slasher Terrifier franchise could be coming to an end soon, according to director Damien Leone.
Leone, who has created, written and directed all three entries in the franchise so far, has revealed that he has an idea of how Art The Clown’s story will draw to a close. Speaking to Variety in a new chat, Leone shared that he doesn’t think the franchise will go “further than one or two more films”, though that isn’t set in stone.
Leone said: “There is no definitive answer at this time regarding how many more films I will make before concluding the Terrifier saga. Personally, I can’t see it going further than one or two more films, but only time will tell.”
David Howard Thornton as Art The Clown in Terrifier. CREDIT: Signature Entertainment
As for how the franchise will conclude, the director’s confident of one thing: “For now, all I can say with certainty is that I know how it ends, and it will be epic.” A fourth film was confirmed by Leone ahead of Terrifier 3’s release, though he hadn’t written a script at the time of the announcement.
The third and latest entry in the low-budget cult slasher series was released on Friday (October 11). The Christmas-set film sees the serial killing Art The Clown pursuing Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) as she attempts to rebuild her life after the events of the previous movie.
The original Terrifier came out in 2018. Written and directed by Leone on a budget of just $35,000, the film about the mysterious clown kicked up a storm on social media thanks to its high levels of gore and earned enough at the box office for Terrifier 2 to be green-lit.
David Howard Thornton as Art The Clown in Terrifier. CREDIT: Signature Entertainment
Made for around $250,000, the sequel (again helmed by Leone) built on this reputation, reportedly causing people to pass out in cinemas and taking more than $15million globally. Later, it was submitted for Oscars consideration in a fan-driven campaign led by horror specialist publication Bloody Disgusting, though came away empty-handed.
Last year, writer and director Damien Leone and Priscilla Smith, president and founder of French distributors The Coven, revealed that the third entry in the franchise would amp up the gore even more than its predecessors, and would carry a significantly larger budget.
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