Creator Damien Leone Teases an End for Horror Franchise

Art the Clown may go on his final killing spree in “Terrifier 4.”

Damien Leone, the writer-director behind the gruesome film series, exclusively shared with Variety when he believes the “Terrifier” saga will come to an end.

“There is no definitive answer at this time regarding how many more films I will make before concluding the ‘Terrifier’ saga. Personally, I can’t see it going further than one or two more films, but only time will tell,” Leone told Variety. “For now, all I can say with certainty is that I know how it ends, and it will be epic.”

The latest installment, “Terrifier 3,” slashed its way to No. 1 in North America over the weekend, earning $18.3 million in its debut. The third film sees David Howard Thornton return as the diabolical Art the Clown, who desecrates bodies left and right during the Christmas season.

“Terrifier 3” has received positive reactions from both critics and audiences, scoring a “B” on CinemaScore and 76% on Rotten Tomatoes to date. Variety‘s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman wrote in his review, “‘Terrifier 3’ puts the ‘E’ in Extreme, and it has an ace gimmick, one that simultaneously winks at and fulfills franchise expectations: It sets up Art the Clown as a fake Santa Claus who unleashes his mayhem at Christmastime.”

Ahead of “Terrifier 3’s” theatrical release, Leone spoke with Variety about the chainsaw-fueled “Psycho” tribute in the film, as well as teased the recently confirmed fourth chapter.

“It will certainly be an epic showdown, an epic closure to this Art the Clown saga,” he said. “The idea I’m toying with in my head would probably be in some regards the most experimental, so I can’t dive into it too much. Some really, really crazy things will happen in the next one.”