Terrifier (2016, Damien Leone) is generally considered an underdog in the world of horror cinema. The ultraviolent, excessive franchise has been a secret success since 2016, earning massive returns from miniscule budget. This year, Terrifier 3 (2024, Damien Leone) hit the stage and has already passed $50m – a huge success considering its budget was only $2m. Indeed, it was a success after its Thursday previews.  

Terrifier 3 was released at a very fortunate time, with its main competition being the freshly notorious Joker Folie à Deux (2024, Todd Philips). The fact that both movies feature a clown as the main villain led to the so-called ‘Box Office Battle of the Clowns.’ Overwhelmingly negative reviews for Joker led to Terrifier 3 becoming the number one movie in the United States. Terrifier 3 was showing in cinemas weeks after Joker became dead and buried on streaming.  

There was a time when we weren’t sure if Terrifier 3 would even come to Norwich. The first Terrifier’s theatrical run was minimal, yet successful. Terrifier 2 (2022, Damien Leone) had a lot more screenings, but never really left America. This time around, Damien Leone was eager to give Terrifier 3 a worldwide release in cinemas but there was some uncertainty as to whether it would only stay in larger cities in the UK. Despite the first two films screening for the first time across Norwich in September, the closest screening to UEA for Terrifier 3 until just a few days before its release was at an independent cinema in Gorleston. However, tickets went up for cinemas like Vue and Odeon just three days before its release.