Art the Clown might not be the first thing everyone thinks of when they think of Halloween, but the Terrifier mascot is firmly rooted in October 31. While the character appeared in Damien Leone‘s short films The 9th Circle and Terrifier, Art made his feature-film debut in the anthology All Hallows’ Eve. This paved the way for the full-length Terrifier movie, which takes place on Halloween, and the rest is history.
Part of what makes Art’s legacy so impressive is how well-known he has become without the backing of a major film studio. The first Terrifier gained a significant following thanks to its availability on streaming services, allowing Terrifier 2 to earn a limited theatrical release, which led to Terrifier 3 earning an even wider theatrical release. Still, the movies’ status as cult classics is largely a testament to their home video availability.
Luckily, whether you’ve seen the movies before or just wanted to see what the hype is all about, all three installments in the Terrifier trilogy are headed to theaters in time for Halloween. Presented by the video game Dead by Daylight, Terrifier screens in select theaters on October 29, Terrifier 2 screens on October 30, and Terrifier 3 screens on October 31.
With the first two movies in the franchise taking place on Halloween night, there’s no better time to head out to the theater to see David Howard Thornton‘s performance as Art up on the big screen. Terrifier 3, however, is set around Christmas, so while you might not be eager to think about winter holidays on October 31, it does make a good installment to use to transition towards other holidays.
Seeing the movies on the big screen isn’t the only way to embrace Art this month, as he is also running rampant at Universal Studios Hollywood for Halloween Horror Nights. The franchise is honored with this year’s “Terror Tram starring Art the Clown,” which Universal describes, “Art the Clown arrives on the Backlot with his bloody bag of presents in tow. But when he realizes he’s too early for Christmas, he hijacks the Terror Tram for his own ho-ho-horrific holiday tradition.”
Terrifier 4 is also on the way, which will be set around New Year’s Eve. At this time, the fourth film in the series doesn’t yet have an official release date.
Will you be checking out the movies on the big screen? Let us know in the comments below!