Terrifier is an American horrormedia franchise created by Damien Leone and consisting of slasher films,[1][2][3]comic books, novels, and video games. 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 the Little Pale Girl, a sinister entity accompanying Art, and Victoria Heyes, a disfigured survivor struggling with her mental health who the Little Pale Girl possesses, becoming Art's accomplice.
The franchise began in 2016 with a standalone feature-length film showcasing Art, who had previously appeared in unrelated short films and the anthology film All Hallows' Eve incorporating the shorts.[4] The 2016 film had a generally mixed critical reception. Terrifier 2 (2022) was a box office success and received positive reviews. Terrifier 3 (2024) received generally positive reviews and was an even greater box office success, becoming the highest-grossing unrated film of all time.[5]
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 Fullam).
After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother struggle to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. However, just when they think they're safe, Art returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare.
Principal photography commenced by July 2023.[9] 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.[10]Terrifier 3 was released on October 11, 2024.[11][12]
Future
After previously expressing interest in 2022 to develop Terrifier 3 and Terrifier 4 back-to-back,[13] 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]
In September 2024, Leone officially confirmed that Terrifier 4 is in development,[17][18] while also stating that it is intended to be the conclusion of the franchise.[19]
Primary cast and characters
List indicators
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.
An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
C indicates a cameo role.
P indicates an appearance in onscreen photographs.
Credited as the 2013 film that launched the spin-off Terrifier franchise, All Hallows' Eve was followed by a number of anthology-standalone sequels including All Hallows' Eve 2 (2015), All Hallows' Eve: Trickster (2023),[20] and All Hallows' Eve: Inferno (2024).[21][22] 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.” Jesse Baget, CEO of Ruthless Pictures, 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".[20]
Between 2021 and 2022, a self-published two-issue limited comic book series adaptation of Terrifier was released by Damien Leone with illustrations by Steve McGinnis.[35][36][37]
Television
David Howard Thornton reprised his role as Art the Clown in the 2023 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.[38][39] In December 2024, it was announced that David Howard Thornton would appear as Art the Clown in A Very Special Terrifier Christmas, which was released on December 24, 2024.[40][41]
