Terrifier 3 Director Turned down Hollywood to ‘Stay True’ to the Franchise

Terrifier 3 Director Turned down Hollywood to 'Stay True' to the Franchise

As a movie critic with a soft spot for independent horror films that dare to push boundaries, I must say that Damien Leone’s unyielding commitment to his vision is truly commendable. The Terrifier franchise, born out of a modest budget and fueled by fan support, has become a cult classic, reveling in its gory glory.


The Terrifier movie series is notorious for its extremely gory kill scenes on screen, as indicated by director Damien Leone. In an interview with Total Film before the release of Terrifier 3 next month, Leone disclosed that a major studio expressed interest in rebooting the franchise to make it more accessible to a larger audience. This potential deal would have required changes that would have altered his vision for the series, which he ultimately declined.

Originally, they aimed to restart it with a broader demographic in mind. However, that’s not the direction I was keen on pursuing. They would argue that it needed an R rating, and it couldn’t be as gruesome as I had portrayed it.

One enjoyable aspect of the “Terrifier” movie series is the abundance of gory scenes, so it feels almost blasphemous to consider a toned-down version of this franchise. With a small initial budget of approximately $55K, primarily funded through crowdsource campaigns, the first film in the series garnered an impressive $416,000 and developed a cult following due to its menacing clown character who spared no effort when it came to inventive murders. Leone once more sought the support of fans for the sequel, “Terrifier 2,” raising $250K on Indiegogo. The increased budget enabled him to push the limits even further and create what might be one of horror’s most memorable deaths (Allie), while simultaneously grossing a staggering $15 million at the box office.

Leone expressed that it was his limited budgets leading to substantial outcomes that caught Hollywood’s attention, yet he recognized that collaborating with a big studio might have prevented him from creating Terrifier 3 as envisioned, which he felt would not only be detrimental to himself but also disappoint the fans who have been backing him for years.

They seemed really interested in knowing how I managed things with such a small budget. I was aware that they wouldn’t permit me to film the initial 10 minutes as planned for Terrifier 3. So, I decided, “Why not stick to the essence of what this franchise stands for?

Terrifier 3’s First 10 Minutes Are a Throwback to Some Horror Classics

Terrifier 3 Director Turned down Hollywood to 'Stay True' to the FranchiseTerrifier 3 Director Turned down Hollywood to 'Stay True' to the FranchiseTerrifier 3 Director Turned down Hollywood to 'Stay True' to the Franchise

Regarding the opening scene of Terrifier 3, there’s something significant that director Damien Leone is planning which is so compelling he’d reject a wealthy studio offer. We won’t be certain until the film premieres in cinemas, but earlier this year, he hinted on social media that this sequence draws inspiration from some classic horror movies, such as Wes Craven’s Scream and Carol Kane’s 1979 film When a Stranger Calls.

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2024-09-11 19:02