News
TERRIFIER 3’s Teaser Trailer and Poster Come Down the Chimney to Fanfare and Promises of Gore Galore
Christmas time is here. Stockings are hung by the chimney with care. And there’s a killer clown inside your house. Not really, but the new Terrifier 3 teaser will certainly make you feel that way, even if we’re a month early.
The Terrifier 3 Teaser Shows Us How Art Celebrates Christmas
After months of relative promotional silence, a limited re-release of Terrifier 2 in theatres across America on November 1st gave us a sneak peek of director Damien Leone’s next big film. That teaser trailer is now available to watch online here:
Terrifier 3’s trailer shows a young girl waking up in the house during Christmas. The dark wood interior and nostalgic on-film feel is reminiscent of Black Christmas’s past (not you, 2019) and may be one of the coziest sights imaginable. As she heads downstairs on a snowy night, she sees a jolly fellow in all red crouched by the gifts under the tree. And who else could it be but our main man in white mime makeup? That’s right: Art the Clown is Santa, and that axe he lifts as he grins a rotten smile says he’s a mean one.
Also available for your viewing pleasure is a nasty new official poster to complement the trailer, hinting at where he got his new costume:
Terrifier 3 Will See the Return of Some Familiar Faces
This hints at a fun wintertime spectacle for the demented and demonic clown. The returning cast of Terrifier 2 has been confirmed, headed by Lauren LaVera as beloved final girl Sienna Shaw, and Elliott Fullam as her younger brother Johnathan. And of course, David Howard Thorton is back as everyone’s favorite killer clown, because who else could play him like that? When we last saw them, Sienna had escaped death and decapitated Art to save her brother, but the clownish cohort known as The Little Pale Girl ended up rescuing his head and escaping into the night.
He was later reborn by a maniacal Victoria Heyes, his disfigured victim from the first film, who has seemingly allied herself with her captor. Victoria’s actress Samantha Scaffidi is set to reprise the role as well. It seems this holiday season, Sienna and Art will be having another knockout, drag-down fight to the death, with some new friends in tow.
(That being said, I say if Leah Voysey does not return as the Clown Café host and we don’t get an Art-themed Christmas song, we should riot.)
Since its initial run-in theatres, Terrifier 2’s home release has seen quite a bit of love, and the cast and crew’s horror convention appearances are often supported by a flood of posts; needless to say, Leone’s work has become a new staple of the genre and skyrocketed from its humble origins in the anthology film All Hallows Eve.
Will Art the Clown Go Too Far?
Still, the film’s envelope-pushing tendencies, being as violent and explosive with its effects as it is, did spark a conversation about the nature of putting children in the crosshairs of slasher villains. Earlier last week, several Twitter users brought up concerns about the teaser, with one saying the films have “no purpose other than being gory” and fearing that the child’s implied death would be crossing a line.
The tweet saw much backlash from fans who saw it as derisive of the films. Producer Steve Barton (@UncleCreepy) took to the replies to give his take on the trailer’s ending, with a much more hopeful outlook on the child’s encounter with Art:
Leone’s response to the comments made was humorous, deciding to take some time to promote the film in a tweet:
Of the sequels’ numbers at the box office and wide acclaim, Leone said that “Terrifier 2’s remarkable success was driven not only by the insatiable appetite for new and thrilling horror icons like Art the Clown but also by its unparalleled theatrical release and marketing, along with its unyielding spirit.” In an interview with ScreenRant, he also discussed shutting down offers from other major studios to finance the third film, citing concerns about his style and the content of the film being stifled:
“The first like 5 minutes of this movie, a studio would never let me film what I plan on filming. So, mark my words, I guarantee you the first 5 minutes of this movie is going to be very controversial. But that’s not even the big kill scene. So, like that’s why I was like, I need to just make this movie on my own […] it’s too insane.”
Leone’s earlier comments on his goals with the Terrifier franchise seem prescient in the wake of the talk: “In a cinematic landscape where risk-taking is scarce, I will continue to push boundaries in Terrifier 3, and I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for Art the Clown.”
*****
With an estimated release date of October 25th, 2024, here’s to hoping Terrifier 3 pushes the boundaries and ends up being the horror gift that keeps on giving. And for more news on the latest and greatest horror movies and television, stay tuned to Horror Press!
Wake up, babe—the first announcements for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 just dropped, and they’ve got us hyped! This year marks the 35th installment of the premiere Halloween season event, and to celebrate the anniversary, HHN is bringing back not one but two of its biggest icons: Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow!
Universal Creative made the announcement at this weekend’s MEGACON Orlando “Behind the Screams: Crafting 35 Years of Fear at Universal Halloween Horror Nights” panel, followed by an X post clarifying that “the forces of horror are BACK. Jack The Clown and Dr. Oddfellow return to wreak havoc together at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights” The team also revealed the name of the first house: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control.
What does the return of these two icons—historically bitter rivals—mean for guests, and what can we expect to see in the house? Read on for everything we know about HHN 35 so far, and a quick primer on the lore for the uninitiated!
Credit: Universal Halloween Horror Nights / Inside The Magic
Who is Jack the Clown?
Debuting at Halloween Horror Nights X in the year 2000, Jack the Clown was HHN’s first original icon. In the real world, he’s the result of a series of surveys conducted by the Universal team that consistently revealed clowns to be visitors’ biggest fear. But his lore within the universe of HHN is much more complicated—and sinister.
Born in the late 1800s, Jack “the Clown” Schmidt started life as a performing clown, eventually finding his way to Dr. Oddfellow’s Carnival of Thrills in the early 1900s. When local authorities realized that the traveling carnival was leaving a trail of missing children in its wake and began closing in, Jack confided his crimes to his boss, who didn’t take the news well. Not wanting the police at his door, Oddfellow murdered Jack and stuffed his body into a box, hiding him (and the dead kids’ corpses) inside a sideshow attraction.
Who is Dr. Oddfellow?
Dr. Rich Oddfellow is a fascinating character even outside of his connection with Jack. Long before getting entangled with the kiddie killer, Oddfellow was obsessed with the Zodiac, believing it held the potential to grant him power and immortality—and he wasn’t afraid to commit some twisted, ritualistic murders of his own to unlock its secrets. His quest led him deep into the jungle, where he uncovered a crystal skull that he used to create his Cane of Souls.
During their struggle, Jack managed to gouge a chunk out of his boss’s face, leaving Oddfellow with a distinctive scar on his cheek. Oddfellow would later attempt to shapeshift to hide his identity, but that scar always remained, serving as a clue for eagle-eyed park visitors. More importantly, the scuffle spilled some of Oddfellow’s immortal blood on Jack’s face, imbuing him with some of Oddfellow’s powers. This led to Jack’s resurrection when, in the 1980s, a BBC production crew unwittingly released Jack from the music box holding his spirit captive, allowing Jack to pursue a bloody path of carnage and revenge.
Halloween Horror Nights Most Long Awaited Showdown
There’s a lot more to the backstory than that, and you can find some of it on the Discover Universal Blog if you want to bone up before the event. What’s important is that Jack has appeared frequently at HHN events, often on anniversary years, with Oddfellow finally getting his lore explored in depth at HHN 32 in 2023. But the two icons have never gone head to head—until now!
What Is the “Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control” House at HHN 35?
We’re still in the early days of HHN 35 announcements, but here’s what we know right now about a clash of titans 25 years in the making!
According to the official announcement from HHN, “Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control” will allow guests to “witness Jack the Clown’s unholy origins, then enter Dr. Oddfellow’s wickedly twisted universe where two of the most powerful forces in horror will face off in a deathmatch of chaos versus control.” The original house will be just one part of the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares (or I.C.O.N. for short, get it?) that visitors will experience once they step through the front gates of the park.
“The haunted house is going to be wild because … basically you’re going into the box,” said Mike Aiello, Universal Orlando Resort’s senior director of Entertainment Creative Development, in an interview with USA TODAY. “You’re experiencing what Jack experienced when he got killed and shoved in there, and essentially you’re going into a realm that we call the Oddverse. And it’s in this realm that Jack and Oddfellow have this immense, epic battle.”
Will the Icons Unite? What Their Twisted Team-Up Could Mean
What starts as a feverish fight will ultimately culminate in Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow teaming up to, presumably, terrorize a common enemy: us. “You’ve got a cerebral end of the spectrum [Oddfellow] and you’ve got a visceral end [Jack]—two great ideologies there in how they can affect a guest,” Aiello added. “And that is a lot of the content that we’ll be presenting this year, is under that infernal banner.”
Will Jack and Oddfellow kiss and make up at Halloween Horror Nights 35? Only time will tell.
Photo courtesy of Samantha McLaren.
When is Halloween Horror Nights 2026, when do tickets go on sale, and how much will it cost?
HHN 35 will run on select nights from August 28 to November 1, 2026. The full event calendar has yet to be released, but if previous years are anything to go by, you should expect HHN to fall Wednesday through Sunday most weeks during its run. So, if you’re planning to spend a full week at Universal Orlando or Universal Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights, consider using Monday and Tuesday as a rest day. After all, all those late-night hikes through the Scare Zones can be hard on the old tootsies!
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Tickets, Add-Ons, and Planning Tips
Tickets for HHN 35 have not yet been released. Based on last year’s event, we anticipate that single-night tickets and add-ons will drop sometime in late May or early June, with multi-night tickets following a few weeks later, so keep an eye on the official Halloween Horror Nights social accounts and your credit card at the ready. While exact pricing is not yet available, single-night tickets for the 2025 event at Universal Orlando Resort started at $82.99 per person, with multi-night passes starting at $199.99.
Remember: Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event, so your daily park admission or annual pass does not grant entry. You also have the option to purchase extras like Express Passes, RIP Tours, and Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror tours, all of which can enhance your experience if you’re willing to part with the benjamins. Check out our ultimate Halloween Horror Nights guide to help you start planning your 2026 trip.
HHN 35 Rumors: Potential Houses and Scare Zones for 2026
As for the other houses and Scare Zones, we can only speculate. Perhaps we’ll get another Stranger Things house to celebrate the series’ official conclusion. And with Insidious 6 scheduled to hit theaters this August, another trip into The Further may be in the cards. Watch this space, and be sure to check back for our super-scientific house rankings once the event gets underway.
We’ll see you in the fog this fall!
The World’s Largest Halloween and Horror Convention, Midsummer Scream is back this August, and this year it’s all singing, all slashing. That’s right, the iconic horror con is returning August 7-9, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center, with a brand new theme: horror musicals. Rocky Horror, Repo! The Genetic Opera, Phantom of the Paradise, and more will be at the center of the convention’s first-ever, musical-themed weekend.
Midsummer Scream 2026 Announces Horror Musical Theme
According to David Markland, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Midsummer Scream, “The year’s theme is for all of the theatre kids that are a huge part of the haunt and horror community…we will be honoring horror musicals of all kinds with a variety of panels, presentations, and performances all weekend.”
Matthew Lillard and Other Horror Icons Headline the Convention
The events and guests list is still being announced, but what we do know is absolutely killer. Horror legend Matthew Lillard (Scream, FNAF) will be headlining the convention, alongside Rocky Horror’s legendary Barry Bostwick and Yellowjackets’ Jasmin Savoy Brown. In addition to these guests, Repo! Director and creator (and Saw alum) Darren Lynn Bouseman will be joining Bill Mosely and Lionsgate for a 20th anniversary celebration of the iconic emo musical masterpiece.
Vendors, Haunts, and Attractions Set to Return
As usual, the convention will still host its usual 350+ incredible vendors, including Trick R’ Treat Studios, Sin City Props, Terror Films, and more. It will include the Hall of Shadows, in addition to a variety of haunt displays and attractions. Eulogy Collective, Fear Farm, and Decayed Brigade are some of the many haunts that will be there. Family friendly pumpkin patch and art exhibits, as well as The Screaming Room Film Festival, are also set to return.
Below is the full list of currently announced Haunts and vendors.
Full List of Currently Announced Haunts at Midsummer Scream 2026
- Eulogy Collective,
- Fear Farm,
- Straite to Hale Productions,
- H&L’s Realm of Horror
- The Dreich Society
- CalHauntS
- The Haunt With No Name…Yet
- Decayed Brigade
- Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights
- Knott’s Scary Farm
- Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Delusion, Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns, and Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House)
- Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest
Vendors Appearing at Midsummer Scream 2026
- The Halloween Shirt Company
- Trick or Treat Studios
- Backstitch Bruja
- Sin City Props
- Terror Films
- Small Town Weirdo
- Froggy’s Fog.
Passes are available now at midsummerscream.org
