The horror shocker “Terrifier 3” is in the starting blocks – complete with a release date and an apparently higher budget than the first two parts were given.
Terrifier 3: Release and budget of the slasher blockbuster
After the great success of the second part, he has done it again – director Damien Leone has actually produced a third part of the ultra-brutal horror blockbuster “Terrifer”. The cinema release is almost upon us. While “Terrifer 3” will be released in Germany on October 31, 2024, just in time for the scariest time of the year, the release date for the USA is already October 11.
- The horror film, which was primarily shot in New York, seems to have received a larger budget than its predecessors. Although exact figures are not known, the first trailer suggests that more money was available. Speaking of the trailer: This one exudes that typically morbid, brutal and bloody atmosphere that the first two parts already had and which won over numerous fans.
- The teaser begins harmlessly and in a Christmassy way, with a child lying in bed on Christmas Eve and waking up to noises. Slowly, the child creeps down the beautifully decorated stairs in the cozy parent's house and sees Santa Claus calmly placing the presents under the richly decorated tree. Snow flies through the room and a sweet Christmas melody can be heard.
- But then the contemplation is over. Santa Claus is anything but lovable. Behind the facade is our favorite horror killer clown, Art the Clown. There is a cut – and in the next scene you can see a bloody Santa Claus sitting in the blood-smeared living room, where a small child with wide eyes had previously watched the supposed Santa Claus laying out presents. By the way: There are quite a few horror films with Santa Claus.
- The fans seem to like it. The community agrees: It looks sick – it's going to be good. How good remains to be seen. Many fans still have the infamous “bedroom scene” from part two stuck in their heads. It remains to be seen whether part 3 can surpass it in terms of brutality and splatter.
- The teaser does offer a “special treat” – and thus indicates the direction in which the whole thing is going. Art the Clown happily makes a snow angel in the blood, a blood angel, so to speak. And he does so with a level of enjoyment that borders on perversion.
- Where the journey is headed in the third part becomes even clearer in the trailer. Here, fans no longer find just hints like in the teaser, but instead the absurd brutality is properly teased. Many fans already see the hinted shower scene as the new bedroom scene in analogy to the second part. Here, Art breaks through the glass of the cabin door with a chainsaw and throws himself at two lovers. The community is certain: This scene will definitely be one of the most brutal moments. Or is Damien Leone just playing a trick on us and will the violence culminate in a completely different sequence?
- The scene in which Art sits down and enjoys his cookies is also almost iconic. No words are needed here, the insane expression and the atmosphere alone give the viewer brutal goosebumps. The appearance of Victoria Heyes in the trailer also makes fans' hearts beat faster. She will be a second antagonist in Terrifier 3 alongside Art. She has already proven how scary she can be in the post-credit scene of Terrifier 2.
- “Terrifier 2” has already come up with violent and brutal scenes. Part 3 will of course want to maintain this “level”. The chances of this are good. !Art the Clown! actor David Howard Thornton admitted to Empire Magazine: “There is one thing that I find particularly hard to take. I don't want to say what it is, but I almost threw up.” If that isn't a promise to the fans.
Terrifier 3 is set at Christmas – but it will be anything but contemplative
Not much is known about the plot of “Terrifier 3” yet. (As of September 2024) However, the first two trailers clearly show that this time the horror clown will be up to his bloody splatter mischief during the contemplative Christmas season. Leone is clearly alluding to the horror classic Black Christmas (1974), which was given the perfectly translated title “Jessy – the Stairs to Death” for the German market. Terrifier 3 is in good company: many horror films take on the Christmas theme.
- David Howard Thornton will once again take on the role of Art the Clown. Lauren LaVera and Elliott Fullam will also be back as Sienna and Jonathan. New to the cast is Daniel Roebuck as Santa Claus. Roebuck already has experience with roles in horror films, including in Rob Zombie films such as “The Devil's Rejects” and “3 from Hell”.
- The Terrifier series is a phenomenon that no one can really explain. While part one came out in 2016 and was able to delight a small audience of film nerds, part two suddenly hit cinemas and the internet in 2022.
- Through word of mouth on social media, “Terrifier 2” went viral as an “ultra-crazy splatter film.” Videos showing cinema-goers leaving the theaters in shock aroused many people’s curiosity.
- The spectacular thing about it: The budget for “Terrifier 2” was only 250,000 US dollars – the worldwide revenues ultimately amounted to an impressive 15 million US dollars. It remains to be seen whether part 3 can top that.