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Send in the Clowns!

The success of ‘Terrifier 3’ further proves that a mainstream theatrical release still trumps nontheatrical distribution—at least in terms of cash-in-hand revenue and pop culture impact.

terrifier 3
By the time you read this, Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 will have earned around double the lifetime domestic total of its predecessor. Photo: Cineverse /Courtesy Everett Collection
Scott Mendelson
October 15, 2024

Amid a challenging year for horror, Terrifier 3 is a reminder that indie fright flicks remain a reliable subgenre. The latest gore-soaked Art the Clown film marks just the second time an unrated feature has topped the domestic box office, following the $22 million debut last December of Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert film, which arbitrarily debuted sans an MPA classification. (Let us briefly note the difference between an all-quadrants concert documentary and a grind-house slasher movie.) Indeed, Terrifier 3 scored the fourth-biggest horror launch of the year behind Longlegs ($22 million), Alien: Romulus ($42 million), and A Quiet Place: Day One ($52 million).