‘Terrifier 4’ is set to explore Art The Clown’s origin story in a “Lynchian” way, creator Damien Leone has said.
- READ MORE: Art The Clown: behind the screams with horror’s “feminist”, Mr Bean-inspired icon
The fourth film in the horror saga is currently in development, and Leone has now shed light on the creative direction he is taking this time around.
Asked by Collider if he worries about living up to expectations, he said: “Of course. I worry about everything. 90% of my day is worrying. That’s a huge concern. I love the mystique. That’s the most important part, even if people don’t realize it because they’re just so hungry to know what his deal is. I think a lot of people don’t realize the reason he works so well is because of the mystique. If you pull the curtain back too far, and you lose that mystique, it’s over. You’re not supposed to see the wizard behind the curtain. It’s almost always a disappointment.”
Although he promised that Terrifier 4 would provide long-awaited answers, he also vowed to protect what makes the iconic clown work. “So, I think there’s a way with his origin to have my cake and eat it too, but we’ll find out. I am taking a bit of a risk, but I’m very well aware about losing that mystique at the same time, so we’ll see if it plays out. I think the majority of people are going to be very cool with it.”
Leone also named some of his storytelling influences: “Once I wrote Part 2, I decided to really start telling the story. I wanted to tell it almost in a Lynchian way. I could never be on the same level as David Lynch. He’s one of my heroes. But I love the way he tells stories, and they’re very abstract. He doesn’t give you answers. If he ever tried to articulate, it would trivialize and diminish the beauty of what he’s done as an artist. His voice is his work. He’s not supposed to just tell you what he did.”
The franchise began in 2018 with a budget of just $35,000. The first film kicked up a storm on social media thanks to its high levels of gore and earned enough at the box office for Terrifier 2 to be green-lit.
Terrifier 4 is set to arrive in cinemas in 2026, which horror fans are anticipating will be “an all-time year” for the genre.
