Starting tomorrow night, we may be getting the first reviews of one of the most anticipated indie horror films of 2024, Terrifier 3. No pressure right? It will have its first official audience screening at Fantastic Fest tomorrow (Sept. 20). That means, unless there is an embargo, reviews will start pouring in all over social media.
Director Damien Leone’s homicidal creation Art the Clown has become an official horror icon; a graduating freshman in the ranks of Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers. Even Spirit Halloween is selling a life-size version of the killer mime in their stores this year. When activated he twists and turns while making sounds with his signature silver horn.
Art the Clown was born from two short films and an anthology movie, both under Leone’s direction. Art broke out into his own full-length franchise starting with Terrifier in 2016 and followed by an even more successful Terrifer 2 in 2022.
Leone, an expert in creating practical special effects, took that art form to the extreme for his films. It was rumored that Terrifier 2 actually caused people to become ill in the theater. His third film is expected to be even more over-the-top.
The first Terrifier didn’t quite get critical mainstream raves when it first came out. In fact, it had a soft theatrical release two years after it was completed. It became an instant cult hit among genre fans. But nothing would compare to the success of its sequel which was made for $250K budget but went on to gross over $15 million globally.
Fantastic Fest is an annual genre film festival that often gets first dibs on horror movies set to be released later in the year. Along with Terrifier 3, screenings of Little Bites and Bone Lake will also have their debuts.
