Terrifier 3 turns the franchise from a cult favorite into a bona fide blockbuster

The latest Terrifier film grossed just over $18 million at the box office in its debut weekend, comfortably finishing at No. 1. That kind of performance is impressive for any indie film, let alone one with a reputation for outlandish gore – so gory, in fact, that the film was released unrated. With a budget of just $2 million, the film has also already proven itself to be a huge financial success, and a clear sign for studios of how strong the horror genre can be at the box office.

The Terrifier franchise started off as a low-budget gorefest in 2016 with the original entry, but rose to the top of the horror cult in 2022 with the release of Scarer 2which grossed over $15 million at the box office during its long and surprising theatrical run, and on a modest budget. Despite all that success, franchise creator and director Damien Leone received only modest offers from studios for the franchise, so he decided to retain the rights to the films themselves ahead of the third film – a decision that clearly paid off.

While there’s no official word yet on another Terrifier sequel, Scarer 3‘s status as an early blockbuster, and the possibility that it could run in theaters for just as long Scarer 2seem to suggest that Art the Clown will commit at least a few more gory murders.