Damien Leone’sTerrifierfranchise is set to continue with a third installment next Halloween, but long-time fans of the seven-year-old slasher were delighted to hear thatTerrifier 3takes place around Christmastime, featuring Art the Clown as a sadistic version of Santa Claus. The Christmas setting has been used countless times in horror history, acting as the backdrop for killing sprees, social anarchy, and absolute mayhem.
AlthoughTerrifiertypically takes place around Halloween, as most slashers do, Leone has chosen to broaden the horizons of the trilogy by letting Art the Clown loose on Christmas Eve. But what does this mean for the future of the franchise?Terrifier 3revolving around Christmas was an ingenious move by Leone to integrate Art into more culturally significant events than just Halloween. We’ll finally get a different side to Art that we haven’t seen yet. But how exactly is the Christmas setting so perfect?
Christmas Horror Movies Become Cult-Classics
As we’ve seen in movies likeBlack Christmas,Krampus, andViolent Night, the Christmas backdrop aids slashers in becoming eventual cult classics.Black Christmashas been remade twice already — if that’s any indication as tohow relevant the concept still is. Although the last remake came in 2019, we can expect another in the coming years, if not a potential sequel. As forKrampusand nowViolent Night, both of those movies are respectable holiday slashers in their own right, even without any ties to existing franchises or particularly strong storylines. If there’s one thing to say about horror fans, they’re suckers for a good Christmas crossover.
There aren’t nearly as many Christmas slashers as there should be, but even B-movies likeThe Mean Onehave made waves in the entertainment industry. In fact, it wouldn’t come as a cultural shock if Damien Leone revealed the inspiration behindTerrifier 3’s premise to be David Howard Thornton’s role as the Grinch. It makes sense for the former mime to blend his portrayal of the Grinch with that of Art of the Clown, who has become an established horror icon at this point.
The Premise Never Gets Old
If there’s one thing to say about Christmas movies — horror or not — it’s that they never get old. How many times can you rewatchElforChristmas with the Kranksevery year without getting bored? Horror movies operate similarly. Leone’s decision to baseTerrifier 3around Christmastime accounts for the eventuality that the third movie could become a yearly tradition, much like the less violent renditions of Santa Claus. Whether you love or hateThe Polar Express, there’s no denying it’s a staple of the Christmas season — just asTerrifier 3could be one day.
Since Christmas is a yearly occurrence, so is the concept of merriment and cheer. Even with Art the Clown running amuck as Old Saint Nick,the backdrop of Christmas is ever-consistent. Most movies feature plots that are relevant to a certain time period, such as 2022’sSickreferencing the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the source material goes out of style, the movie isn’t as impactful as it once was. COVID-19 jokes are no longer trending as heavily as they were three years ago, so the concept has turned stale. But Christmas is forever.
Art As Santa Claus Is Comic Genius
We, as a collective audience, have seen Art take on the wildest of forms. At least Santa Claus is a significant improvement on wearing a dead woman’s scalp and breasts (notone of his best moments). We typically associate Santa Claus with all things jolly and joyous, so for Damien Leone to take everything we know about Saint Nick and turn it on its head, that only sets the stage for Thornton to have some fun. We wouldn’t associate Santa with such malicious deeds, so Art coveting the reputation of Santa Claus to use against young children might be his most diabolical act yet. Similarly to clowns, an inversion of something that is supposed to bring joy and entertainment makes the end result all the more sinister.
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As phobias have evolved and awareness has spread regarding clowns as dangerous individuals, we expect Art to be up to no good when dressed head to toe in white and black. When he honks that horn, you know you’re done for. But as Santa, Art approaches children under the guise of offering presents and well wishes, only to turn on them in an instant. Leone’s decision to place Art — a ruthless killer — in the shoes of an influential celebrity was nothing short of a stroke of genius.
The Christmas Theme Will Reinvent the Franchise
BothTerrifierandTerrifier 2were set around Halloween. While this setting will never get old for slashers, it’s still something predictable and even mundane. So, it was certainly time for Leone to switch things up. Thesequel was considered an improvementon the original, but after a while, the backdrop of Halloween gets repetitive. Audiences typically have short attention spans for large franchises, so it’s important to keep the concept fresh. Leone seems to be aware of that fact and made the executive decision to pivot over to Christmas.
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It’s certainly something we haven’t seen before for Art to embody Santa, so perhaps that could give theTerrifierfranchise the pick-me-up it needs to continue this string of success. Not to say Leone and Thornton don’t carry these movies by themselves, but it never hurts to reinvent oneself occasionally, andTerrifierwas long overdue for a change-up.StreamTerrifieron Peacock andTerrifier 2on Hoopla.
