For most film trilogies, it’s only natural for the budget to increase with each subsequent production, but when it comes to the horror genre and the “Terrifier” series, writer/director Damien Leone believes the cheaper the better. For him, the DIY element was integral to the success of the first two films, but it’s exactly because of that success he was able to have more money to work with on his most recent outing “Terrifier 3.” Set around Christmas rather than the franchise’s standard Halloween timeframe, the third installment reintroduces characters from the first two films and once again positions them against Art the Clown’s demonic holiday terror.
Of being given a higher budget to work with, Leone recently said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, “In some regards, it was easier, but it was also the most stressful and intense film I’ve ever worked on. More money, more problems is real, and I had to deal with so many more people that I’ve never had to deal with before in front of the camera, behind the camera, and behind the scenes. You’re getting pulled in so many different directions. There were so many more questions I had to answer because there were many more departments with many more crew members in them.”
Another big difference was timing. Normally, Leone would shoot at his own convenience, but being made to keep to schedule was a different beast entirely.
“We had to shoot this film in such a shorter amount of time. Once the clock is ticking and you’re off to the races, you can’t really stop,” Leone said. “It’s like the train has left the station, and you’re just basically trying to catch up to it. You’re trying to make the best decisions you can on the fly and in the moment, as a lot of money is burning now.”
Leone went on to explain how the first two films were “very homemade,” but with “Terrifier 3” he had to face a lot more “pressure.” Having a larger team to work with did take some of the burden off his shoulders, allowing him to focus on the filmmaking and performances rather than every little detail, but the biggest help to Leone as he shepherds this series is that he already has plans for “Terrifier 4” and how the franchise will ultimately conclude.
“I know a lot of where I’m going to take ‘Terrifier 4,’ and I knew a lot of where I was going to end the franchise when I was writing part two,” said Leone to THR. “It’s a great safety net to have because figuring out the end of your franchise is usually the hardest part, especially if it’s, hopefully, a satisfying ending.”
Even though his plans are in motion, however, Leone knows full well that changes must be made from script to screen. After the excessive two hour and 20 minute runtime of “Terrifier 2” alienated some viewers, he was determined to keep the third film tight, even though it wasn’t always easy.
“It got to the point where I still had a two-hour and 25-minute movie. I then said that we can’t do that again, and everybody was begging me to keep it under two hours,” Leone said. “So I wound up cutting probably five scenes out of this film, and a lot of them I really, really loved. There were some really great character moments that I had to cut out that really fleshed out the relationships a lot more, but maybe one day there’ll be an extended version.”
“Terrifier 3” premiered at Fantastic Fest and Cineverse releases it in theaters October 11.