Terrifier 3 will return to the tone of the first movie

Terrifier 2 introduced a lot of supernatural and fantasy elements to the horror franchise, but it sounds like Terrifier 3 will be returning to the more grounded tone of the first movie.

Terrifier 3 will see Art the Clown “unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.” Franchise creator Damien Leone will return to write and direct Terrifier 3, but with a much larger budget said to be in the seven figures and a wide theatrical release. While chatting with THR, Leone spoke of returning to the original film’s tone with Terrifier 3.

“[Terrifier 2] really has that fantastical, poppy Dream Warriors vibe, and I’m trying to go back to part one, tonally,” Leone said. “So if part two is my Dream Warriors, I want to go back to the original A Nightmare on Elm Street tone with part three. When franchises lose their way, one of the mistakes they make is forgetting what made the franchise great in the first place. They just stray so far off of that path, so that’s something I’m trying to avoid. I just want to go back in that direction so I don’t forget where I came from, and I want this one to be the scariest one. And I do think it’s going to be the scariest, darkest, and most sadistic one, believe it or not, of the entire trilogy.“

While Leone is aiming to push the limits with Terrifier 3, he also wants to make sure there’s an element of fun. “I always want there to be levity,” the director said. “Art the Clown needs to be his charming, quirky self. I want the audience to know this is just a fictional world. We are here to have fun, and I don’t want them leaving the theater feeling miserable. But at the same time, there is a way to make this one seem as if you’ve never even met Art the Clown before. That’s how I want the audience to feel. I want them to feel like this is a very terrifying, unpredictable character, and while you think you might know him, you don’t know what’s coming.“

It was announced yesterday that Terrifier 3 hit theaters on October 25, 2024. What are you hoping to see from Terrifier 3?