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Almost exactly one year ago, Bloody Disgusting started our reign of blood with SCREAMBOX, our very own streaming platform that’s now jam-packed with a unique blend of kickass horror films. The most notable is Terrifier 2, which challenged the theatrical model and changed the game for independent horror cinema last Halloween season.
I will never forget the first time I watched Terrifier 2, creator/director Damien Leone‘s slasher epic that continued Art the Clown’s bloody rampage from the original Terrifier movie. I sat in silence for several minutes just trying to absorb what I had witnessed. I was in shock and absolutely certain I had just experienced something truly special.
What was so exciting about Terrifier 2 was how defiant and unapologetic it felt. It had a punk rock vibe all the way through. In a time where everyone feels like they’re walking on eggshells, team Terrifier popped the viewer right in the nose and didn’t give a fuck who it offended. There was something so refreshing about that experience and it excited me in a way I hadn’t felt in quite some time. It was clear to me that Terrifier 2 was a generational experience and had to have it.
I can’t even begin to describe the validation of the film’s success. Behind the scenes, other companies laughed at us. We were told we couldn’t release it in theaters uncut and unrated. But we knew. Oh, we knew. Terrifier 2 was something special and going to shock the system.
$15 million at the box office. Featured on everything from “The Howard Stern Show” to “Saturday Night Live.” Art the Clown had officially become a pop culture icon.
This was all done independently.
Damien Leone’s Terrifier franchise is and will continue to be anti-Hollywood as the filmmakers have decided to give the fans exactly what they want with a completely independent sequel produced without any studio interference.
Yup, we’re running it back.
We are so incredibly excited to announce today that Cineverse, Bloody Disgusting, and SCREAMBOX have acquired North American rights to Terrifier 3 from filmmakers Damien Leone and Phil Falcone! Variety first reported the big news this morning.
The film is scheduled to have a wide theatrical release next year in North America, followed by its exclusive debut on Cineverse’s streaming service SCREAMBOX.
For the third installment of the Terrifier films, creator Leone and producer Falcone look to build and expand on the success of the second film. Staying true to the fanbase, the teams aim to recreate the magic of Terrifier 2, while pushing the boundary of the horror genre to an even more extreme level.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting again,” said Leone. “Aside from a yearning for new and exciting horror villains like Art the Clown, a large part of Terrifier 2’s success was based on its unprecedented theatrical release and its uncompromising nature. Many studios are unwilling to take that sort of a risk these days whereas Cineverse not only took it but embraced it. It’s pretty clear that we’re now entering a slasher genre renaissance; perhaps the biggest one since the 90s. Filmmakers like myself are gonna have to keep pushing the envelope so it’s encouraging when a company respects a director’s vision and understands what makes a certain type of film successful.”
“Produced for just $250,000, Terrifier 2 became a box office phenomenon, grossing more than $15 million worldwide,” added Chris McGurk, Chairman & CEO at Cineverse. “It achieved revenues of roughly 60 times the production cost despite being powered almost exclusively by social marketing. We are thrilled that Damien and Phil have chosen to stay true to the franchise and keep the film uncut and independent vs going the studio route. We are confident that Terrifier 3 will deliver yet another unparalleled horror experience, and we eagerly anticipate the creative vision that Damien and Phil will unleash upon audiences when we bring Terrifier 3 to the big screen in the fall of 2024.”
“Indie horror changed the game last year, and that is thanks in no small part to Terrifier 2,” said Brad Miska, Managing Director of Bloody Disgusting/Cineverse. “The team crafted something that transcends decades and solidified an icon in Art the Clown that we will be talking about 20 years from now. The seismic impact this franchise will have in the genre is only being felt as tremors now. We are confident that Terrifier 2 and now Terrifier 3 are films that people will revisit regularly. They are films fans will want to marathon every fall leading up to Halloween. We are thrilled to join forces once more with Damien and Phil, aiming to offer another box office sensation with a full 360 marketing campaign.”
The rights agreement was negotiated by Brandon Hill, Director of Acquisitions, on behalf of Cineverse, and by Priscilla Ross Smith of The Coven on behalf of the filmmakers. Leone is currently represented by WME.
