One of Terrifier 2's scariest scenes was a total accident [Exclusive]

As most fans of the “Terrifier” series and Art the Clown know, the deadly deeds and mythology of the malevolent killer are a volatile and ever-changing thing. Creator/writer/director Damien Leone's whole ethos with the character and these films is to constantly shock and surprise audiences, with Art literally and figuratively betraying the pact of slasher and horror films of the past. At any time and without warning, Art could appear, take his own life, resurrect, pull out a butcher knife or a gun, and generally be so unpredictable as to become extremely disturbing. Given this aesthetic, the “Terrifier” films followed suit: Art’s first feature film appearance was in “All Hallow’s Eve,” an anthology film partially composed of previous short films that Leone had already filmed (including the initial short “Terrifier”). Next came the first feature film “Terrifier”, which involved a circular narrative structure. Next came 2022's “Terrifier 2,” which has an epic (especially for a horror sequel) runtime of 138 minutes and greatly expands the series' set and mythology.

As “Terrifier 3” is about to hit theaters on October 11th, the film already promises to continue this spirit of shock and surprise, if early reactions are anything to go by. Although Leone has spoken in numerous interviews and commentaries about how he comes up with some of Art's most infamous and violent exploits, he also likes to leave plenty of room for his co-stars and crew members to come up with ideas to add to the “terrifying” Stew. It is in this spirit that one of the scariest moments in “Terrifier 2” was born, a scene created from innovation and necessity. It’s a great example of how, with “Terrifier” and with Art himself, anything goes.

Somewhere in the middle of “Terrifier 2,” Art already has his sights set on his destined opponent, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera). Knowing that defeating her will require more than a random attack, he decided to break her spirit by going after her friends and loved ones first, starting with poor Allie (Casey Hartnett), who is doomed as soon as Art shows up on her doorstep. or treating. In true Artistic style, the killer is in no rush to commit the crime and takes a few breaths before committing one of the most heinous murders in horror history.

Apparently, this break wasn't the original plan, as /Film's Jacob Hall learned while speaking with Leone, co-star Chris Jericho, and Art the Clown himself, David Howard Thornton. As Thornton told Hall during Fantastic Fest 2024:

“I remember the second part when it's a scene where we appear [with] basically out of nowhere and it was a happy accident. Originally, I was supposed to break this window to go after Allie and chase her up the stairs. And when we got to the window it was already broken and it was the middle of the night [so] We couldn't get a new window. And then Damien and a few of us just put our heads together. And we had a little thing that we thought we'd have along the way and we thought, 'Well, why don't we put this in here and add more, where Art is just making himself at home and he's just drinking water? And I feel like it's a lot scarier that way. This guy is so confident in what he’s about to do.”

As Jericho was quick to point out, the image of an already broken window only added to the eerie suspense of the moment, even as Art happily grabbed a drink:

“Also, just the fact that the mirror or window was already broken, it was much scarier than if you walked past it. Because imagine walking down the stairs and you're like, 'Holy shit, there's something here. I don't know what it is.' It was a great scene.”

The moment works on several levels: it adds that layer of suspense to a humorous part, and yet the scene as a whole is a clever, mean-spirited way of making the audience let their guard down a bit before Leone unleashes the film. more violent sequence about them. If there's one scene that sums up the spirit of “Terrifier,” it's this one.

The sequence also serves as proof of how open and improvisational the “Terrifier” ensemble is. According to Thornton and Jericho, this seems to be the way Leone likes to work the most. As Jericho stated:

“And then when you have a good relationship, like I said, my scenes with Damien were a day or two of filming, but you have a little connection. And what about that? Try this. Okay. And that's what you want on set, someone you can fall back on. Damien is the captain of the ship. He's the boss, but if I have an idea, I'm not afraid to throw it away. because nine times out of ten… We even improvised some dialogue that we used in one of my scenes and just, 'Yeah, let's try it.' So it's a good relationship to have. He’s a very confident director, which is great for the relationship and the performance.”

Thornton not only echoed these sentiments, but elaborated on how such an ethos extends to the film's crew as well as the actors:

“He is very friendly with actors, willing to listen to new ideas and experiment. , I think the most important thing for us is to have the best film possible. So he's open to hearing other ideas. Of course he has the final say in everything. And we had so many happy accidents happen on set. wrong. He’s very adaptable to whatever’s going on.”

While the film's detractors will likely use all of this as ammunition against Leone, any creative worth their salt knows that collaboration (within a collaborative medium) often produces the best art. This is especially true when someone with discernment like Leone can choose from the best ideas that come his way. After all, drinking water was far from the only big “Terrifier 2” moment that was improvised. It's something that Art the Clown himself understands: when you have so many tools in your bag, why not use them all?

“Terrificador 3” opens in theaters on October 11, 2024.