Terrifier | |
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![]() Official franchise logo | |
Created by | Damien Leone |
Original work | Terrifier (2016) |
Owner | Cineverse |
Years | 2016–present |
Based on | Characters created by Damien Leone |
Films and television | |
Film(s) |
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Terrifier is an American horror media franchise consisting of slasher-splatter films, [1] [2] [3] comic books, and various other media. The franchise mainly focuses on Sienna Shaw, a young woman destined to defeat the enigmatic Art the Clown, a demonic serial killer that inhabits the fictitious Miles County, New York. Additionally, the series follows Victoria Heyes, a disfigured survivor struggling with her mental health, and the Little Pale Girl, a sinister entity accompanying Art.
The franchise began in 2016—with a standalone feature-length film showcasing Art, who had previously appeared in unrelated short films and an anthology film incorporating the shorts. This film has a mixed critical reception, with criticism directed at the underdevelopment of the lead characters and the perceived lack of plot. However, Terrifier 2 (2022) was a box office success and received positive reviews, with critics and audiences regarding it as a noticeable improvement upon the original. This film marks Leone's attempt to create an overarching narrative that will continue in future films.
Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter | Producers |
---|---|---|---|---|
Terrifier | March 15, 2016 | Damien Leone | Phil Falcone, Damien Leone and George Steuber | |
Terrifier 2 | October 6, 2022 | Damien Leone, Phil Falcone, George Steuber, Michael Leavy, Steven Della Salla and Jason Leavy | ||
Terrifier 3 | October 11, 2024 | Phil Falcone, George Steuber, Michael Leavy, Steve Della Salla and Jason Leavy | ||
On Halloween night, partygoer Tara Heyes (Jenna Kanell) and her sister Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi) become the targets of an enigmatic serial killer known only as Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).
In April 2023, it was announced that Terrifier would be re-released theatrically in 700 theaters on July 19, 2023. [4] [5] [6]
Following the events of Terrifier, Art is resurrected by a mysterious entity to continue his killing spree across Miles County and the pursuit of the teenage Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) and her younger brother Jonathan (Elliott Fullnam).
In October 2022 after the financial and critical success of Terrifier 2, writer/director Damien Leone confirmed that work on a sequel had started while they were in production on the second movie, with Thornton, LaVera, Scaffaldi, and Fullnam reprising their roles from previous installments. The filmmaker stated that the script was nearly finished, while also announcing that the project may develop into two separate movies with potential for a back-to-back production. [7] In May 2023, it was announced that Terrifier 3 was expected to begin filming in November or December 2023 for a late 2024 release. [8] [9]
Principal photography commenced by July 2023. [10] In October of the same year, it was announced that the first trailer for the sequel would debut on November 1, 2023; exclusively during a theatrical re-release of Terrifier 2. [11] Terrifier 3 is set to be released on October 11, 2024. [12] [13]
After previously expressing interest in 2022 to develop Terrifier 3 and Terrifier 4 back-to-back, [7] Leone confirmed in February 2023 that he plans to make at least one more installment after the third film. The filmmaker explained that by the end of the franchise, the stories of Art the Clown, The Little Pale Girl, Victoria Heyes, and Sienna Shaw would be resolved. [14] By November of 2023 however, Leone stated that there may be additional installments after production on Terrifier 4 is completed, with the filmmaker stating that his goal is to create "... a satisfying franchise, [with] a satisfying conclusion where you could just watch it from start to finish and understand the journey and the arcs of your characters... but you never know what's going to happen down the line, but that is the goal is I don't want to make too many of these, and I want it to have a satisfying conclusion." [15] The writer/director later confirmed that the franchise intentionally draws from Biblical imagery, with the story of Sienna's confrontations with Art, being that of an angel versus a demon. [16]
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
Character | Shorts | Films | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The 9th Circle | Terrifier | All Hallows' Eve | Terrifier | Terrifier 2 | Terrifier 3 | ||
2008 | 2011 | 2013 | 2016 | 2022 | 2024 | ||
Art the Clown | Mike Giannelli | David Howard Thornton | |||||
Sarah | Katie Maguire | ||||||
Casey | Kayla Lian | ||||||
Victoria "Vicky" Hayes | Samantha Scaffidi | Samantha Scaffidi C | Samantha Scaffidi | ||||
Tara Heyes | Jenna Kanell | Jenna Kanell P | |||||
Dawn Emerson | Catherine Corcoran | Catherine Corcoran P | |||||
the Coroner | Cory Duval | ||||||
Monica Brown | Katie Maguire | Mentioned | |||||
the Cat Lady | Pooya Mohseni | ||||||
Mike the Exterminator | Matt McAllister | ||||||
Sienna Shaw | Lauren LaVera | ||||||
Jonathan Shaw | Elliott Fullam | ||||||
The Little Pale Girl Emily Crane | Amelie McLain [lower-alpha 1] | TBA | |||||
Burke | Chris Jericho [17] | ||||||
Barbara Shaw | Sarah Voigt | ||||||
Brooke | Kailey Hyman | ||||||
Allie | Casey Hartnett | ||||||
Allie's Mother | Amy Russ | ||||||
Jeff | Charlie McElveen | ||||||
Ricky | Johnath Davis | ||||||
Santa Claus | Daniel Roebuck [18] | ||||||
TBA | Tom Savini | ||||||
Jason Patric | |||||||
Gabbie | Antonella Rose | ||||||
TBA | Krsy Fox | ||||||
Clint Howard | |||||||
Annie Lederman | |||||||
Sienna Hubert-Ross | |||||||
Jon Abrahams | |||||||
Credited as the 2013 movie that launched the spin-off Terrifier franchise, All Hallows' Eve was followed by an anthology-standalone sequel All Hallows' Eve 2 (2015). A third movie titled All Hallows' Eve: Trickster was released in 2023. At the movie's launch, producer Steve Barton stated that in collaboration with Horrible Imaginings Film Festival, future All Hallows' Eve installments would include combined independent horror short films, following their respective runs at film festivals; saying: "...the All Hallows’ Eve franchise will be a place for these movies to thrive and for these filmmakers to get the notice that they have so richly earned.” CEO of Ruthless Pictures, Jesse Baget further explained that though the franchise was anthological in nature, each of the shorts takes place in the same shared continuity where the horrific characters "coexist". [19]
Film | Segment | U.S. release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Story by | Producer(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All Hallows' Eve | "Wrap-around segment" | October 29, 2013 | Damien Leone | Damien Leone & Jesse Baget | Jesse Baget | |
The 9th Circle | ||||||
Untitled segment | ||||||
Terrifier | ||||||
All Hallows' Eve 2 | Trickster(2015) | October 6, 2015 | Jesse Baget | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget and Kimberley Browning | ||
Jack Attack | Bryan Norton & Antonio Padovan | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning, Lucia Bellini and Joseph Zaso | ||||
The Last Halloween | Marc Roussel | Marc Roussel and Mark Thibodeau | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning, Ron Basch, Marc Roussel, Jessica Menagh, Greg Machula, Mark Thibodeau and John Nicholls | |||
The Offering | Ryan Patch | Michael Koehler | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning, Joanna Bowzer, Ryan Patch and Michael Koehler | |||
Descent | Jay Holben | Jay Holben & Christopher Probst | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning, Jay Holben and Christopher Probst | |||
Masochist | Jon Kondelik & James Kondelik | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, and Kimberley Browning | ||||
A Boy's Life | Elias Benavidez | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning and Allison Vanore | ||||
Mr. Trickster's Treat | Mike Kochansky | Mike Kochansky & Mark Byers | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget, Kimberley Browning, Mike Kochansky and Mark Byers | |||
Alexia | Andrés Borghi | Damien Leone, Jesse Baget and Kimberley Browning | ||||
All Hallows' Eve: Trickster | Trickster(2023) | October 31, 2023 | Evan Tramel | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez | ||
That Halloween | Mike Hickey | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez and Christian Davis | ||||
PrettyFace | Francesco Depinto & Fay Johnson | Francesco Depinto | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez, Jess Dubois and Brit Godish | |||
Poor Glenna | Jean-Paul Disciscio | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez and Sarah Bordelon | ||||
Nagual | Dan "Laz" Lazarovits | Phil DeSanti and Dan "Laz" Lazarovits | Phil DeSanti | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez, Dan "Laz" Lazarovits, Phil DeSanti and Craig Blair | ||
Witch Hunt | Evan Gorski | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez and Ryan Robert Minford | ||||
Karaoke Night | Francisco Lacerda | Francisco Lacerda & Amarino França | Steve Barton, Evan Tramel, Miguel Rodriguez, Amarino França and Mário Patrocínio |
Title | Segment | Crew/Detail | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composer(s) | Cinematographer(s) | Editor(s) | Production companies | Distributing companies | Running time | ||
The 9th Circle | Frank Nello | Tom Agnello | Damien Oramas | Damien Leone Films | 11 mins | ||
Terrifier(2011) | Zack Bourne & Christopher M. Stark | Christopher Cafaro | Damien Leone | D&D Films LLC | 20 mins | ||
All Hallows' Eve | Noir Deco and Zack Bourne & Christopher M. Stark | Christopher Cafaro, Tom Agnello, George Steuber, Marvin Suarez & Christopher Eadicicco | Ruthless Pictures, RLJE Films | RLJ Entertainment | 1 hr 23 mins | ||
All Hallows' Eve 2 | Trickster(2015) | Jesse Baget | Ruthless Pictures, RLJ Films, Image Entertainment, Hollywood Shorts, Brickwall Productions, [lower-alpha 2] Red Sneakers Media, [lower-alpha 3] Bitter River Film & Media, [lower-alpha 4] Adakin Productions, [lower-alpha 5] Fractured Atlas Productions, [lower-alpha 6] Toronía Producciones [lower-alpha 7] | 1 hr 30 mins | |||
Jack Attack | Marco Werba | Gordon Yu | Mike Maclean | ||||
The Last Halloween | Christopher Guglick | Michael Jari Davidson | John Nicholls | ||||
The Offering | Samuel Estes | Andrew Michael Ellis | Frank Dale Arroyo | ||||
Descent | Buck Sanders | Christopher Probst | Dan O'Brien | ||||
Masochist | Michael John Mollo | Kyle Stryker | James Kondelik | ||||
A Boy's Life | Hamdija Ajanovic | Aaron Moorhead | Frank Mohler | ||||
Mr. Tricker's Treat | Mark Byers | Graham Bremner | Mike Kochansky | ||||
Alexia | Pablo Borghi | Julián Batistuta | Andrés Borghi | ||||
Terrifier(2016) | Paul Wiley | George Steuber | Damien Leone | Dark Age Cinema | Dread Central | 1 hr 25 mins | |
Terrifier 2 | Dark Age Cinema, Bloody Disgusting, Fuzz on the Lens Productions | Cinedigm Entertainment Group, Bloody Disgusting | 2 hrs 18 mins | ||||
All Hallows' Eve: Trickster | Trickster(2023) | Storm Watters | Director of Animation: Islam Belal | Evan Tramel | Ruthless Studios, Monster-Movies.tv, Davis Film Inc., [lower-alpha 8] IndieGogo Films, [lower-alpha 9] Overdue Films, [lower-alpha 10] Filmed Imagination [lower-alpha 11] | Ruthless Studios LLC, TubiTV | 1 hr 28 mins |
That Halloween | Baz Fratelli | Duncan DeYoung | Mike Hickey | ||||
PrettyFace | Ray Magnuski | Fay Johnson & Jeffrey Caban | Josh Petrino | ||||
Poor Glenna | Steve Moore | Shaun Clarke | Jean-Paul Disciscio | ||||
Nagual | Marc Timon | Simon Dennis & Judd Overton | Javier Dampierre | ||||
Witch Hunt | Alexander Taylor | Michael Babyak | Evan Gorski | ||||
Karaoke Night | Antoni Maiovvi | Hugo França | Francisco Lacerda | ||||
Terrifier 3 | TBA | TBA | Damien Leone | Dark Age Cinema, Bloody Disgusting, Cineverse, Screambox | Cinedigm Entertainment Group, Bloody Disgusting | TBD |
Film | Box office gross | Box office ranking | Video sales gross | Worldwide total gross income | Budget | Worldwide total net income | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America | Other territories | Worldwide | All time North America | All time worldwide | North America | |||||
All Hallows' Eve | Information not publicly available | — | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | [20] |
All Hallows' Eve 2 | Information not publicly available | — | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | Information not publicly available | $30,658 | >$30,658 | Information not publicly available | ≥$30,658 | [21] |
Terrifier | $339,946 | $76,376 | $416,322 | #10,599 | #19,315 | Information not publicly available | >$416,322 | $35,000 | $381,322 | [22] [23] |
Terrifier 2 | $10,962,502 | $4,739,790 | $15,702,292 | #5,184 | #6,187 | $3,216,893 | $18,919,185 | $250,000 | $18,669,185 | [24] [25] |
Totals | >$11,302,448 | >$4,816,166 | >$16,118,614 | x̄ #3,897 | x̄ #8,606 | $3,247,551 | >$19,366,165 | >$285,000 | ≥$19,081,165 |
Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|
All Hallows' Eve | — (1 review) [26] | — |
All Hallows' Eve 2 | — (3 reviews) [27] | — |
Terrifier | 55% (22 reviews) [28] | — (0 reviews) [29] |
Terrifier 2 | 86% (78 reviews) [30] | 59/100 (8 reviews) [31] |
All Hallows' Eve: Trickster | — | — |
An official three-volume graphic novel series adaptation of Terrifier (2016), was released by Damien Leone with illustrations by Steve McGinnis to commemorate the release of Terrifier 2. [32] [33] [34]
David Howard Thornton reprised his role as Art the Clown in the Peacock series Bupkis . Starring Pete Davidson as a fictionalized version of himself, the segment featured the character in a comedic scenario. Leone was involved with filming the segment for the series. [35] [36]
The evil clown, or creepy clown, also known as the killer clown if their character revolves around murder, is a subversion of the traditional comic clown character, in which the playful trope is instead depicted in a more disturbing nature through the use of horror elements and dark humor. The modern archetype of the evil clown was popularized by the DC Comics supervillain Joker starting in 1940, and again by Pennywise in Stephen King's It. The character can be seen as playing on the sense of unease felt by sufferers of coulrophobia, the fear of clowns.
Morgan Creek Entertainment, LLC is an American film production company, former sales agent and investor, that has released box-office hits including Young Guns, Dead Ringers, Major League, True Romance, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Crush, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Last of the Mohicans. The studio was co-founded in 1987 by James G. Robinson and Joe Roth. Robinson leads the company as chairman and CEO. His two sons, Brian Robinson and David C. Robinson, run the day-to-day operations. The company name comes from Roth's favorite film, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek. Their most recent film is The Exorcist: Believer, which was released on October 6, 2023.
All Hallows' Eve is a 2013 American horror anthology film written, directed and edited by Damien Leone, in his feature film directorial debut. The film is presented as a series of shorts that two children and their babysitter discover on an unmarked videotape on Halloween night, all of which feature a homicidal clown named Art the Clown. The film stars Katie Maguire, Catherine Callahan, Marie Maser, and Kayla Lian, with Mike Giannelli as Art the Clown. It incorporates footage from the 2008 short film The 9th Circle, as well as the 2011 short film Terrifier, both of which were also directed by Leone and featured Art the Clown.
Terrifier is a 2016 American independent slasher film written and directed by Damien Leone. The film stars Jenna Kanell, Samantha Scaffidi, David Howard Thornton, and Catherine Corcoran. The plot centers on partygoer Tara Heyes (Kanell) and her sister Victoria (Scaffidi), who become targets of the enigmatic serial killer known only as Art the Clown (Thornton) on Halloween night.
Samantha Scaffidi is an American actress, writer, and director. She began her career in short films before becoming known for her role as Victoria Heyes in the Terrifier film franchise—appearing in Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022) and Terrifier 3 (2024). Additionally, she had a leading role as Luce in Demon Hole (2017). In addition to acting, Scaffidi is known for directing the RAINN public service announcement Wait (2019).
Art the Clown is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in the Terrifier franchise and related media. Created by Damien Leone, the character first appeared in the short films The 9th Circle (2008) and Terrifier (2011). Both shorts were included in the anthology film All Hallows' Eve (2013) which marked the character's feature film debut. In these early appearances, he was portrayed by Mike Giannelli before his retirement from acting. He was replaced by David Howard Thornton, who portrayed Art in Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024).
Terrifier 2 is a 2022 American supernatural slasher film written, directed, edited and produced by Damien Leone. A sequel to Terrifier (2016), it is the second film centered solely around Art the Clown and third feature-length film to feature the character. It is the second installment in the Terrifier franchise. It includes the return of David Howard Thornton and Samantha Scaffidi, who portrayed Art the Clown and Victoria Heyes, respectively, in the first film, and stars Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, Sarah Voigt, Kailey Hyman and Casey Hartnett. The plot follows Art's resurrection and pursuit of teenage Sienna Shaw (LaVera) and her younger brother Jonathan (Fullam) on Halloween night—a year after the events of the first film.
Sienna Shaw is a fictional character in the Terrifier franchise. Sienna first appears in Terrifier 2 (2022) as a teenager interested in cosplay who battles the enigmatic villain Art the Clown. She is portrayed by Lauren LaVera, who will reprise the role in further installments. Sienna's creator, Damien Leone, invested a lot of time into fully developing her as a character as he regretted leaving the first film's heroine Victoria Heyes underdeveloped. The character originates from an abandoned film Leone was developing in the late 2000s, featuring the concept of a Valkyrie-angel warrior attired heroine battling Art.
Damien Leone is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer known for writing and directing All Hallows' Eve (2013), Terrifier (2016), and Terrifier 2 (2022), each of which feature his character Art the Clown. He is currently working on Terrifier 3 (2024).
V/H/S is an American horror anthology franchise that includes seven found footage films, two spin-off films, and one miniseries. Created from an original story idea by Brad Miska, the plot centers around a number of disturbing VHS tapes that are discovered by innocent viewers and the possessive influence of the videos over those who see them. Realized by a collaboration of various filmmakers and different casts, the installments are mostly standalone in nature; though recurring elements indicate the same fictional villain as the source for all of its videos.
Stream is an upcoming American horror film co-produced, co-written and directed by Michael Leavy. It stars Charles Edwin Powell, Danielle Harris, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace, Tim Reid, Mark Holton, Felissa Rose, Tony Todd, Daniel Roebuck, Dave Sheridan, Terry Alexander, Damian Maffei, Bill Moseley and David Howard Thornton. Several producers and crew members for Stream, including director Leavy, were previously involved with the productions of the 2016 film Terrifier and its sequel Terrifier 2, as well as upcoming Terrifier 3.
All Hallows' Eve 2 is a 2015 American horror anthology film. The film is a standalone sequel to All Hallows' Eve (2013). The film was released on VOD and digital on October 6, 2015, and had a DVD release on February 2, 2016. The film grossed $31,288 in home sales.
Bupkis is an American comedy drama television series created by and starring Pete Davidson. It premiered on Peacock on May 4, 2023.
Lauren LaVera is an American actress, stunt performer and martial artist. She is primarily known for being the leading actress in several horror films, which has led to her being called a "scream queen" by both critics and audiences. LaVera has received accolades for her performances, such as a Fangoria Chainsaw Award.
Terrifier 3 is an upcoming Christmas slasher film written and directed by Damien Leone. It stars Lauren LaVera, Elliott Fullam, David Howard Thornton, and Samantha Scaffidi, who reprise their roles from prior films. The film is a sequel to Terrifier 2 (2022) and will reintroduce possessed survivor Victoria Heyes in a more prominent role.
Victoria Heyes is a fictional character in the Terrifier franchise. She first appears in Terrifier (2016) as a young woman who battles the enigmatic serial killer Art the Clown on Halloween night; the encounter leaves her severely disfigured, causing her descent into madness. In this film, she was portrayed by Samantha Scaffidi—who reprises the role in the sequels Terrifier 2 (2022) and Terrifier 3 (2024).
David Howard Thornton is an American actor. He is known for his role as Art the Clown from the Terrifier franchise, a role in which he appeared in Terrifier (2016), Mistress Peace Theatre (2020), Terrifier 2 (2022) and Bupkis (2023) and is set to reprise in Terrifier 3 (2024). He has had other various roles in film, television and video games, including Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress (2011), Ride to Hell: Retribution (2013), Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom (2013), Gotham (2017), The Bravest Knight (2019), The Exigency (2019), Alma's Way (2021) and starring as the Mean One in The Mean One (2022).