Writer/director Damien Leone’s supernatural slasher sequel Terrifier 3 has wrapped production and is heading for an October release
Just a few days ago, we learned that Rob Zombie regular / prolific character actor Daniel Roebuck had joined the cast of Terrifier 3, taking on the role of Santa Claus – and now our friends at Bloody Disgusting have confirmed that production on the film, which started filming back in February, has officially wrapped! After their report, writer/director Damien Leone took to social media to share his thoughts on the production now that it’s all over.
Leone wrote, “And that’s a wrap on Terrifier 3! This was easily the most challenging film of my career and an emotional rollercoaster to say the least! Luckily I was surrounded by the greatest cast & crew who kept me motivated and enthusiastic throughout. I may be the creator of Terrifier, but it takes an army of passionate artists to make a film and I was fortunate enough to surround myself with some of the most talented individuals in the biz. I’m so proud of everyone involved and I can’t wait for you all to see the magic and mayhem we’ve created. If you thought Terrifier 2 was insane, we’ve reached a whole new level of horror madness that will most certainly blow you away! Get ready for the continuation of the mega-slasher!“
David Howard Thornton reprises the role of Art the Clown, a character who was first introduced in Leone’s 2013 anthology All Hallows’ Eve. Thornton commented on Leone’s post: “We did it, brother! Horror fans are going to have a bloody awesome holiday season for sure. We couldn’t have done it with our great captain at the helm.“
Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on his breakout horror film Terrifier, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2, which was a massive hit when it was released last year, earning $15.1 million at the box office. Since the second film did so well, Terrifier 3 has a substantially higher budget. A “couple million” is going into this one. It has the following synopsis: Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Thornton and Roebuck are joined in the cast by Lauren LaVera, who’s back as Terrifier 2 heroine Sienna. Elliot Fullam returns as Sienna’s brother Jonathan. Samantha Scaffidi is returning as Terrifier and Terrifier 2 character Victoria Heyes. Chris Jericho, who had a cameo in Terrifier 2, is also back in Terrifier 3 – but he has let everyone know that his appearance in the film won’t last very long.
Leone has said that this new sequel will be going back to the tone of the first movie, as he’s aiming to make the third film the scariest, goriest, and most depraved of the bunch. He’ll be pulling back on the mystical/fantasy element that was so prevalent in the second film, and is also aiming to make sure this one will be less than two hours long, since the second one surpassed the two hour mark. If you’re worried that Terrifier 3 might wrap the franchise up as a trilogy, have no fear. Leone knows that horror franchises always continue, and anything’s possible once the supernatural gets involved. So even if he brings a sequel to a satisfying conclusion for himself as the creator of the franchise, the door can always be opened to more sequels.
Terrifier 3 is set to receive a theatrical release on October 25th.
Are you looking forward to Terrifier 3, and are you glad to hear it has wrapped production? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
