Director Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 took the already blood-soaked slasher franchise to new nauseating lows, but will Art the Clown return to wreak havoc in Terrifier 4? Debuting with the release of Leone’s 2008 short film, The 9th Circle, Art the Clown has become a bona fide pop culture icon, and the coulrophobia-inducing slasher has anchored the director’s entire filmography. The Terrifier film franchise may not be re-inventing the wheel when it comes to blood and guts, but it is extremely popular with horror hounds because of its simple-but-effective execution that eschews the intellectual horror of the 2010s and ’20s.

2024’s Terrifier 3 didn’t disappoint when it came to delivering a sickening number of nightmarish kills, but it also tipped the series further into fantasy as the lore of Art the Clown gets more complex with each successive sequel. With rumblings of Terrifier 4 already starting to erupt in the horror community, the cliffhanger ending of Terrifier 3 is practically begging for Leone and the rest of his crew to resurrect Art for yet another spree. Though the project isn’t really official yet, it’s only a matter of time before more mayhem erupts.

Terrifier 4 Latest News

David Howard Thornton Clarifies Terrifier 4’s Development

Though Terrifier 3 is still so fresh, the latest news finds David Howard Thornton clarifying Terrifier 4‘s development. The Art the Clown actor followed up on earlier news which reportedly confirmed Terrifier 4, and though he didn’t officially announce the movie, he did offer insight into its development. “I know he hasn’t actually started writing the script,” said Thornton, before mentioning that director Damien Leone had ideas. As for whether 4 would be the last, Thornton said “who knows how many films that’s going to take…But I know that he at least has one, possibly two, more in him.“

• Terrifier 3 is currently in theaters

Read Thornton’s full comments below:

Oh, I know he hasn’t actually started writing the script, per se, but he has definitely written down ideas. He definitely has a lot of ideas, and I know this whole entire time, even before he wrote part 2, we had come up together with where we want to take it for a good ending, we think, for this character.

So, I know that’s something he’s always had in the back of his mind, so he knows where he’s building to right now, which is kind of fun. So, who knows how many films that’s going to take to get to that point. But I know that he at least has one, possibly two, more in him, but that’s all up to him.

Terrifier 4 Is Not Confirmed (Yet)

The Sequel Is Reportedly In Development

the usually talkative horror director has not come forward and confirmed
Terrifier 4
officially, and that’s likely due to behind-the-scenes processes of getting a film made.

Even before Terrifier 3 hit theaters, it was reported that Terrifier 4 was confirmed by director and writer Damien Leone. The news was broken by several fans who attended a screening of the third film, all of whom posted on X and mentioned that Leone let the cat out of the bag. However, the usually talkative horror director has not come forward and confirmed Terrifier 4 officially, and that’s likely due to behind-the-scenes processes of getting a film made. The confirmation seems imminent though, and there’s little doubt that Terrifier 3‘s box office will justify another sequel.

Terrifier 3
premiered on October 11, 2024.

Terrifier 4 Cast Details

Expect Art The Clown To Return

Though the cast of Terrifier 3 was the most vibrant thus far, there are only a handful who could return in Terrifier 4. Since she lived once again, the franchise’s ultimate final girl, Sienna Shaw, will need to be on hand to dispatch Art the Clown. That means Lauren LaVera will likely headline the cast of Terrifier 4 opposite David Howard Thornton as the devilish clown, Art. Samantha Scaffidi’s Victoria Heyes could also return to assist Art as he tries to get his revenge against Sienna, but her death at the end of Terrifier 3 seemed pretty convincing.

Antonella Rose should return as Gabbie Shaw, since she needs to be rescued by Sienna from Hell. The only big question mark is Elliot Fullam as Sienna’s brother Jonathan, and though the third film heavily implies that he is dead, the franchise isn’t known for keeping Art’s gruesome murders offscreen. Also, if the third film is any indication, Terrifier 4 could feature a heaping helping of cameos from various spheres, though most of Terrifier 3‘s cameos came from the world of horror.

The presumptive cast of Terrifier 4 includes:

Terrifier 4 Story Details

Sienna Has To Rescue Gabbie From Hell

This all sets up something of a climactic confrontation between the sworn enemies, a battle that has biblical proportions.

Though the Terrifier films aren’t really known for their amazing writing or riveting plots, Terrifier 3 deftly sets up the next chapter with its suspenseful ending. Armed with her magical sword, Sienna dispatched Art’s sidekick (and former victim) Victoria, and ran the evil clown through. However, a rift to Hell opened up and swallowed young Gabbie before Sienna could rescue her. What’s worse, despite being impaled by the magic sword, Art lived to slay another day and escaped on a bus.

This all sets up something of a climactic confrontation between the sworn enemies, a battle that has biblical proportions. The final tease of the movie references The 9th Circle, which is not only the first short film to feature Art the Clown, but also a reference to the deepest level of Hell, according to poet Dante. Presumably, Terrifier 4 will see Sienna travel to Hell to not only rescue Gabbie but finally end Art’s reign of terror.