‘Terrifier 3’ had viewers ‘vomiting’ and ‘walking out’ of its U.K. premiere
Art the Clown is scaring audiences out of the theaters.
The latest screening of “Terrifier 3,” the third entry in Damien Leone’s horror-slasher series about a sadistic killer clown, took place on Wednesday in the United Kingdom.
The film’s distributor, Signature Entertainment, wrote on X that movie theater staff “reported 11 people walking out and 1 person vomiting” during the screening.
“If the #Terrifier3 event impacted you please let us know if you need more support at this time,” the distribution company wrote in its statement. The message was shared alongside a post from the movie’s official X account that showed an image displaying a warning for “extreme violence and excessive gore.”
It read: “If you are feeling unwell, please find a member of staff. Staff trained in first aid are on site.”
Meanwhile, LADbible reports that during the film 11 audience members left, nine of them during the opening scene. The outlet adds that, per the movie’s public relations team, one audience member also threw up.
Leone shared the article on his X account, writing that he “did personally witness some crazy stuff at this UK screening.”
The filmmaker had previously said his plans for the movie were so gory that Hollywood turned him away.
“I got to meet with studios, like legit Hollywood studios, who wanted to make ‘Terrifier 3,’” he told LADbible. “But before I even had a script, just having meetings and getting the feel that I was going to have eyes over my shoulders, and they were concerned about the levels of gore and this and that.”
Leone added, “I knew they weren’t going to let me make this movie based on the first five pages. Like, that’s how insane ‘Terrifier 3’ is.”
“Mark my words,” he continued. “I guarantee you the first five minutes of this movie is going to be very controversial. But that’s not even the big kill scene. So that’s why I was like, I need to just make this movie on my own, because it’s too insane.”
Touching on Art the Clown’s killing spree, Leone explained that if you thought his “reign of terror in Part Two was extreme, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
The “Terrifier” films revolve around Art the Clown as he terrorizes teenagers, with actress Lauren LaVera playing the starring role in both the second and third installments. The latest movie is set on Christmas Eve.
“Terrifier” viewers getting ill or fleeing the theater is nothing new for the series, which began in 2016. By the release of the second film in 2022, box-office numbers had seen a major increase, seemingly related to reports of audience members passing out or vomiting at screenings.
In October 2022, Leone cwrote on X these reports were “100% legit” in response to a user who thought they were a publicity stunt.
The films are financed by Cineverse and its subsidiary Bloody Disgusting, which reported on Friday that viewers in France under age 18 have been banned from admittance to “Terrifier 3” screenings.
The company described the ban as “the equivalent of” the United States’ NC-17 rating.
According to Variety, Leone has confirmed he will make a fourth film, making the announcement at the movie’s September 13 premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.
“Terrifier 3” hits US theaters on October 11.
