Terrifier 4 director Damien Leone explains how the movie will reveal Art the Clown’s origins. Since premiering, Leone’s slasher franchise has followed Art (portrayed by David Howard Thornton) as he wreaks havoc on Miles County. Through each installment, the frightening and barbaric clown becomes more popular, but details regarding his backstory are scarce.
Previous films, notably Terrifier 3, revealed Art the Clown is evil and linked to a demonic spirit. Because of his maniacal persona and extremely gory murders, questions have begun swirling about who exactly Art is, and Leone has teased that Terrifier 4 would unveil the character’s past.
During an interview with Collider, Leone addressed how Terrifier 4 will reveal the origins of Art. As Leone explained, he began to focus on storytelling when he created Terrifier 2, and modeled his work after David Lynch’s movies.
The director also noted that his upcoming sequel will provide “a lot of answers… maybe to a fault,” while maintaining a similar style. Read his comments below:
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.
You’re still going to have that Lynchian vibe with the next one, for sure.
What This Means For Terrifier 4
The background of Art has not been fully established, but there is speculation that he was once human. Some hints about his bloody origins came from Terrifier 3, mainly in Jonathan’s letter, which explained that demons occupy corrupt vessels, including serial killers.
If Art the Clown was a real murderer, that could explain his disturbing penchant for bloodshed. The mime-like behavior of Art may be ᴀssociated with his origins as well, while questions regarding his connection to Sienna and her father could also be explained.
The Terrifier franchise reveals that Sienna’s father had visions of Art the Clown before he pᴀssed away.
Based on Leone’s comment about Terrifier 4 containing “answers,” it is now worth wondering whether Art the Clown’s background will make him more of a horrifying antagonist. Giving substance to Art could bode well for his potential as a horror icon, considering how well-received he already is, if handled right.
Our Take On Terrifier 4 Revealing Art The Clown’s Origins
Not much is known about the plot of Terrifier 4, but audiences may enjoy uncovering the backstory of Art after such a long time. It will also be interesting to see if the film approaches the supernatural elements of Art the Clown and why he became demonic.
By wrapping up the franchise, Terrifier 4 could prove to be the most pivotal installment yet. Because Sienna defeated the demon-possessed Victoria Heyes, it remains unclear what Art will do next and how gruesome another showdown will get. Looking ahead, fans can see how it all plays out and how Art the Clown’s origins affect his character development.
