Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 has already made a strong critical impact, though its opening scene — which features Art the Clown’s latest family victims — caused some U.K. premiere attendees to walk out due to the graphic gore. In addition, France has now restricted the holiday slasher film to viewers over 18.
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| Damien Leone attends the "Terrifier 3" UK Gala Screening at Vue Leicester Square on October 02, 2024 in London, England. Lia Toby/Getty Images |
This type of controversy is nothing new for the Philadelphia-born director. His previous film, Terrifier 2 (2022), which had a budget of $250,000, sparked similar reactions while achieving unexpected success at the box office, grossing $15.7 million globally.
The Terrifier franchise, which began with 2016’s DIY hit, gained more financial backing for the third installment, including a $2 million budget and a professional makeup effects team. Leone, a former special effects makeup artist, no longer had to design the gruesome materials himself mid-production alongside producer Phil Falcone.
However, with this boost in funding came increased pressure, which Leone had not experienced in his earlier films.
“In some ways, it was easier, but [Terrifier 3] was also the most stressful and intense film I’ve worked on. ‘More money, more problems’ is real,” Leone told Reporter ahead of the film’s Oct. 11 release. “The other films were very homemade. We worked at our own pace without anyone breathing down our necks with deadlines. It’s just the nature of the beast.”
Terrifier 3 had its world premiere on Sept. 19 at Fantastic Fest, and during the Q&A, Leone’s mention of a possible fourth film quickly spread online. However, he advised fans to be patient, as the success of Terrifier 3 will determine how soon he can resolve the film’s cliffhanger ending, which he compares to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
“I didn’t want the news to suddenly break, ‘Terrifier 4 is happening!’” Leone explains. “I’ve already mapped out much of [Terrifier 4], but it depends on how well Terrifier 3 performs. If it’s well-received and people want more, I could dive right into it.”
Leone’s previous film faced some critique from horror fans for its 138-minute runtime, as slasher films are typically around 90 minutes. (Scream is often credited with breaking that mold, with runtimes nearing two hours.)
With Terrifier 3, Leone aimed for a more streamlined film but still ended up with a nearly two-and-a-half-hour cut. To meet his partners’ request for a two-hour runtime, he reluctantly trimmed several scenes he hopes will appear in an extended version.
“I cut about five scenes that I really loved, including some great character moments that fleshed out relationships. Maybe one day we’ll release an extended version,” Leone says.
Terrifier 3 is set five years after the events of Terrifier 2, with Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) and Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) both recovering in their own ways. However, as Sienna tries to enjoy the Christmas season with her remaining family, she once again finds herself facing her arch-nemesis.
In a recent conversation with Reporter, Leone also reflected on LaVera’s role in the franchise and the significance of her character’s dream sequence, which has been teased in the film’s promotion.
"Terrifier 3" jumps forward five years. What was the reason behind this gap for all the characters?
Elliot Fullam, who portrays Jonathan, Sienna’s younger brother.
During the production of "Terrifier 2," Elliot grew significantly, especially due to the delays caused by the pandemic.
Exactly. He outgrew the character. Initially, I wanted the story to continue right after the Christmas following "Terrifier 2," but Elliot had visibly aged. The timeline became confusing as we were already behind schedule, dating back to 2018. I felt it was best to bring the story up to date, set in 2023 or 2024, so it made sense to advance the timeline.
In our previous conversation, we discussed how you finally hired a professional makeup effects team for "Terrifier 3." You didn’t have to halt production to handle the effects yourself with producer Phil Falcone. Additionally, you had eight times the budget of "Terrifier 2." How did these resources impact the film?
While it made certain aspects easier, it was still the most stressful and intense project I’ve ever worked on. The phrase “more money, more problems” holds true. I had to manage far more people, both in front of and behind the camera, than ever before.
The pressure came from being pulled in multiple directions and having many more departments with additional crew members. Time was also a huge constraint, and once the production was in motion, there was no stopping. It felt like trying to catch up to a moving train, making crucial decisions quickly while watching the budget burn.
The previous films were homemade projects where we worked at our own pace without deadlines. This time, the pressure to meet a release date was intense. But I had an amazing team, including Christien Tinsley’s makeup effects crew, which removed a huge burden from my shoulders.
This allowed me to focus more on other elements, such as the actors and cinematography, which helped elevate the film. The attention to detail in those areas was much greater than in the earlier movies because I wasn’t so preoccupied with the effects.
Lauren LaVera used journaling as a tool to get into character for "Terrifier 2." I assume that inspired Sienna Shaw’s journal in "Terrifier 3." Are those Lauren’s real journal entries in the film?
No, they aren’t her actual entries, though that’s an interesting thought. It might have come from her subconsciously, but who knows? I’ve mentioned this before, but Sienna is my favorite character. She’s now the heart and soul of this franchise, sharing the spotlight with Art the Clown. Her journey is central, and the audience follows her, empathizing with her struggles.
Exploring her character after the trauma she faced and seeing her go through this supernatural and metaphysical transformation was fascinating. Five years later, she’s still dealing with it all. It was intriguing to explore how she manages everything—whether she can stay sane and whether she still has the strength to be the warrior we saw in "Terrifier 2."
There’s a noticeable maturation in her, and she even takes on a maternal role with her younger cousin Gabbie. It was exciting to show this new phase of her life.
In the trailer, we catch a glimpse of Sienna’s dream, where a masked man forges a weapon beside a Mother Mary figure. What can you tell us about that scene?
There’s a fine line between dreams and premonitions. It’s unclear whether she’s experiencing an out-of-body moment or something else. We may explore that more in future installments. Given that "Terrifier 3" is set around Christmas, I wanted to incorporate more biblical imagery, like churches, statues of Mary, and paintings of the Last Supper.
Being raised Catholic, that imagery is ingrained in me, so I wanted to carry over the heaven and hell symbolism from the second film. But rest assured, that dream scene is not just for visuals. It has significance, and it could play a bigger role down the line.
The film ends in a way that makes fans eager for a fourth installment. How much of that story have you already developed?
I didn’t want the news to break suddenly, like “Terrifier 4 is happening!” But when we showed the film at Fantastic Fest, people could tell from the blatant cliffhanger that more is coming. It’s like our version of "Empire Strikes Back."
Someone asked about a sequel, and I replied, “Well, you saw the ending, so of course, there will be another." I already have a good idea of where "Terrifier 4" will go, and I’ve had a general blueprint for the series ever since I wrote part two.
Having the end of the franchise mapped out is a great relief because that’s usually the hardest part. If the reception for "Terrifier 3" is strong and fans demand more, I could jump into the next one fairly quickly.
"Terrifier 3" runs for 2 hours and 5 minutes. Did you have to cut any favorite scenes?
Yes, quite a few. We didn’t want another polarizing two-hour, 20-minute runtime like "Terrifier 2." Initially, I had a two-hour, 25-minute cut, but we aimed for something shorter. I ended up removing five scenes, including some great character moments that added depth to the relationships. Maybe someday there will be an extended version.
The film’s finale was also trimmed. Originally, the ending had a lot more gruesome moments, but we cut them before filming due to the increasing size and length of the movie. It frustrates me when people call these scenes “filler.”
To me, filler is adding content just to meet a runtime. That’s not what we did with "Terrifier 2" or "Terrifier 3." There’s a lot of story, but it’s not filler.
Hopefully, we can chat again next year, though that might be too soon for a new release. No pressure!
Don’t be surprised—it could happen!
