Art the Clown is coming back to town, and everyone’s on the naughty list. The trailer for Terrifier 3 premiered on the Bloody Disgusting official YouTube account this morning and it looks like we’re in for quite a treat.
If you’ve somehow evaded all things Terrifier for the last decade, let’s have a brief refresher.
Art the Clown in Terrifier
Art the Clown, as played by David Howard Thornton, started making waves in the horror community with the film Terrifier in 2016. The film saw a mime stalking and killing on Halloween night with various creative methods.
Terrifier’s blend of comedy, dark grit, and gore fueled by Tom Savini-inspired practical effects was polarizing to horror fans. Some like myself find real delight in the films, while others take issue with multiple things including gratuitous gore and Art the Clown’s use of a gun for one of his kills.
Not to be deterred, Damien Leone doubled down on everything for Terrifier 2. He let it be known within the first 15 minutes how he felt about the criticisms of Art using a gun in Terrifier, as Terrifier 2 saw Art the Clown unload a Tommy gun on a crowd in a dream sequence right at the beginning. As far as the criticisms of Terrifier being too gory went, there’s a reason why the words “bleach and salt” are well-known in the horror community now.
If the first Terrifier caused waves, then when Terrifier 2 was released in 2022, it caused a tsunami. Reports of a moviegoer passing out while watching it in the theater are often attributed to why Terrifier 2 started receiving mainstream recognition.
To original Terrifier fans like myself though, we know that Art the Clown was born to be a horror icon. It’s no surprise that he’s gained such a following because the brutality of the character, combined with his comedic charm and edge, is unique in a way we haven’t had for a long time. We simply can’t get enough of him, so let’s get into Terrifier 3.
What We Know About Terrifier 3 So Far
The third installment of the Terrifier franchise releases to theaters on October 11th of this year, 2024.
If you follow Horror Press on Instagram or TikTok, you might have caught our Horror Trivia Tuesday about Terrifier, specifically that Damien Leone knew that Terrifier 3’s first five minutes alone will be very controversial.
The Terrifier 3 teaser trailer that was released back in May has a lot of people speculating that it’s because this time we will see Art the Clown slaughter a child.
It drew a lot of criticism, as the line in horror is typically drawn at children. Even when we see tragic child deaths, they’re typically handled gingerly as we saw with Gage Creed in Pet Sematary. However, horror has always been known to push the boundary, with Mike Flanagan’s baseball boy scene from Doctor Sleep coming immediately to mind. Damien Leone has made it known that he, too, is one not to shy away from any boundaries.
Judging from the Terrifier 3 trailer alone, I think it’s safe to say this one will make even the most hardcore horror fans squirm.
Watch the Terrifier 3 Trailer Now
The Terrifier 3 trailer picks up on the impending fifth anniversary of the events from Terrifier 2. Sienna, as played by Lauren LaVera, who beheaded Art the Clown at the end of the last film, is urged by her friends to speak out about surviving the harrowing events.
Meanwhile, Art the Clown is armed with the Christmas spirit and a chainsaw, advancing on a couple in the shower. He gives us an expression that tells us Terrifier 3 will give us the same goofy, brutal Art that we all know and love from the previous Terrifier films.
Remember when I said Damien Leone does not shy away from his vision, no matter the criticism? One scene, as Art the Clown sits in Santa’s chair at a mall event, tells me that people who were concerned about the potential grisly murder of a child will quickly find there’s way more than one in danger.
The trailer also hints at Terrifier 3 giving us more Art the Clown lore as Sienna says she has to “go back to the Terrifier” hinting that Art the Clown may be buried at the abandoned carnival from Terrifier 2.
We also see a potential new villain, or perhaps an earlier version of Art the Clown, as Sienna faces a monster blacksmith.
The trailer closes with a festive Art the Clown enjoying some milk and cookies, as he must be exhausted from all that slaying.
If Terrifier 2 didn’t teach us that Damien Leone will not back down from presenting his vision of Art the Clown no matter the criticism, Terrifier 3 most certainly will. Get your Terrifier 3 tickets now.
