The much-anticipated sequel to writer-director Damien Leone‘s 2016 film Terrifier is finally here. Released in theaters on October 6, 2022, Terrifier 2 brings Art the Clown back in all his demonic glory. In the follow-up film, Leone added new characters, family drama, and a whole lot of carnage.
The official synopsis reads, “After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to the timid town of Miles County, where he targets a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night.”
Ahead of the film’s release, we talked with Leone about the modern horror icon in the making, the decision to write a more fleshed-out story, and even a nod to an ’80s cult classic. You can check out our spoiler-free review for Terrifier 2 here.
Horror Geek Life: Hi, Damien. It’s great talking with you. With this second film, it really feels like Art the Clown is cemented as a modern horror icon. Did you ever anticipate this type of response in 2016?
Damien Leone: Oh, my god. The only thing I knew from the start was that I just had some killer with a striking image, and every time I made a short film with him, the fan base grew. People just kept telling me you have to keep going, you have to make it. They all wanted to see more.
The more I would write this character, the more fun I was having with him and the more in love I was falling with this character. He’s such a sadistic character, but he’s so much fun to write and sort of hang out with. It makes you feel uncomfortable when you’re laughing at the things he’s doing, so I kind of like doing that to the audience and getting an uncomfortable laugh out of them.
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But where it’s gone… people getting tattoos, the countless memes, beautiful pieces of artwork, and cosplays and things like that. I even get invited to all these conventions now, and they want me to dress him up as Art and take pictures. I mean, we literally just came back from New Jersey Horror Con yesterday, and we had this young girl who’s an aspiring makeup artist cry when she saw us.
And that’s happened before; it’s not the first time. How much this movie and this character mean to people… I have chills right now. Like, it’s insane it means so much to them, and I never really expected that to happen. So, I think that’s the best thing that’s happened. When I meet people like that, it’s like, wow, I’m really making people happy because of this movie. There’s nothing cooler than that.
They like to throw the word icon out a lot, and that’s so flattering, but all I can say is he’s still very young. I think he’s got a way to go, but we’ll see. It’s an honor, and I’m going to do my best.
Horror Geek Life: As a fan of the first film, I really think fans will like what you’ve done with the sequel.
Damien Leone: I agree. I read every criticism and every comment. I love to hear feedback, no matter what people say. A lot of it is that this film, in a negative way, is mean-spirited. I always say I don’t intend for the film itself to be mean-spirited, but Art the Clown is very mean-spirited. I write him to be super mean-spirited.
It’s not an accident. I mean, he’s also fun, and it’s a very fantasy-laden film. So, to me, I hope that gives it sort of a little pass, where you don’t walk away feeling like, oh, I just watched Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and now I’m walking into reality, and we just feel miserable. I love Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, but. It’s not my type of movie to make. I want it a little more fantastic, like Jason, Freddy, where this isn’t grounded in reality all the way. I literally write him like, okay, what is the devil and Jack the Ripper’s kid going to do now?
Horror Geek Life: I was really surprised to see the family drama brought into the mix. Where did that decision stem from?
Damien Leone: I had the character of Sienna [Lauren LaVera] in my head for about ten years. That character is very close to me. And, like I said, checking out all these comments and criticisms, the criticisms they’re either two things: people trolling or genuine. If you get enough of them, you really have to listen to that and take it to heart and potentially grow as a writer or director.
People wanted more fleshed-out characters. They wanted more of a fleshed-out narrative and traditional storyline. Whereas the first one is kind of a situation you get thrown in. It kind of happens in real time. This one, I can really let it breathe.
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You get to know this family and especially with Sienna, the brother, and the mother. I drew from personal experiences. Sienna is very much based on my two older sisters. The mother, Barbara, is very much like my mother, a single mom. She’s strong, but the kids are driving her crazy. You ask her what time it is, and she just yells the time back at you with the f-word.
Yeah, very personal things, but I think you can spot that and hopefully feel that there’s something genuine going on in there. It was very important to build up the drama because I wanted the audience invested in these characters and get behind Sienna and her journey of discovering her role in regard to Art the Clown. He’s now this sort of supreme evil and seemingly immortal character who’s being driven toward her, and she’s being driven toward him. Different roads but leading to the same endpoint. That was exciting to explore.
Horror Geek Life: Although Art is terrifying, I love David’s [Howard Thornton] more playful scenes; they bring so much to the character. The sunglasses scene is a great example. How much of that was improvised?
Damien Leone: There’s a lot of improvisation. And one of my favorite aspects of Art is that most of your killers, you’re immediately threatened by them. They’re immediately threatening — Jason with a machete or characters fall asleep and see Freddy in their nightmares. They’re terrified and off the races running, whereas Art, I love that he’s dressed as a clown on Halloween. I can really build the tension and put him in almost any environment, and he’s accepted.
My favorite scene in part one is the pizzeria scene where he comes across as a jerk dressed as a clown, just annoying these girls at first. Then it starts getting gradually more and more uncomfortable and more and more threatening, so I love building that tension.
In terms of improvisation, for instance, you brought up the scene with the glasses. I wrote in the script that the scene was my homage to Pee-wee’s Big Adventure when he’s in the magic shop.
Horror Geek Life: Okay, yes!
Damien Leone: That was also like my other version of the pizzeria scene now in 2 because I could really put him out in the open in front of people, and they don’t know he’s a psychotic killer clown. In the script, I would write, “Art tries on various wacky glasses every time Sienna turns around,” “Art is wearing a different pair of classic glasses and just standing there like a mannequin.”
That’s it, but on set, I would just order a bunch of wacky glasses and all other accessories and just put them on the rack and give them to Dave. Now Dave goes to town, and I just let the camera roll. I don’t tell him what to do; once he puts those glasses on, he just goes nuts. That’s where his skills come in. When he’s got to make a lot of wacky faces and do things like that. A lot of improvisation comes into those moments.
Terrifier 2 is now in theaters from Cinedigm in partnership with Iconic Events.
