Terrifier is the modern horror franchise created by Damien Leone that introduced Art the Clown, a silent, demonic serial killer who became one of the most recognizable figures in contemporary slasher cinema. Beginning with the 2016 feature film and expanding through roots in Leone's earlier short-form work, the series centers on extreme practical effects and splatter horror executed with a uniquely visceral intensity. Art's chalk-white face, black-rimmed eyes, and sadistic pantomime performances have become the signature of a franchise that embraces unrelenting gore and classic slasher traditions without restraint.
The Terrifier films have grown into a major horror property spanning Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024), the latter premiering in U.S. theaters on October 11, 2024 and earning approximately $89.2 million worldwide at the box office. The franchise has expanded into comic books, novels, and video games, cementing Art the Clown as a modern horror icon. Leone's commitment to practical makeup and prosthetic carnage has won a devoted fanbase and positioned Terrifier as a defining force in the revival of extreme independent horror during the 2020s.