When Terrifier was released in 2016, director Damien Leone surely could not have predicted the levels of popularity it would achieve. From a gruesome indie horror flick, Art The Clown and co have been propelled to the heights of horror royalty, with Terrifier 2 breaking box office records when it hit screens in 2022. The original film, starring Jenna Kannel and Samantha Scaffidi, followed sisters Tara and Victoria as they became the targets of Art on Halloween night.
Now, with Terrifier 3 right around the corner, FILMHOUNDS sits down with Scaffidi to talk about her return to Terrifier 2 which opened new possibilities for the franchise, what it's like filming a Terrifier film, and what fans can expect from the latest instalment.
We first meet your character Victoria in the first Terrifier film. How did you get involved with the franchise?
There is an actor in the first film named Gino Caffarelli who was in the pizza scene. I had done one of my first jobs out of acting school, where I met Gino. When Damien was looking for actors, Gino had recommended me, so I auditioned and that's how I ended up getting the part. I have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to Gino.
Victoria, for a time, was the only survivor of Art the Clown. And we saw her make a comeback in Terrifier 2 in what might be one of the most shocking scenes of the franchise. What was it like to film?
Filming was stretched over two days, and I remember at that time we had shot the scene with a different ending and then had to come back, which was an additional two days. It's always a very intense and unglamorous process including getting into prosthetics and being in relatively cold and abandoned locations. You're in a little bit of a mess, but you kind of just get through the day. It was lots of fun though. When it comes to Terrifier, because it's such physical performances I don't really think about what I'm filming. It's only later when people ask me about it I'm like, “Oh, that's, that's what my character was doing”.
It introduced more supernatural elements to the film and the idea that really, anything is possible for Art. Where do you think that could mean the franchise goes in the future?
It's always unexpected. The first film is set up beautifully where we believe Tara (Jenna Kannel) is the final girl. Then my character comes back in Terrifier 2, and it's that just not knowing where it's gonna go. And that's a lot of the fun with Terrifier. Whenever I'm on the convention circuit I love talking to fans who just never know what's around the corner. With Damien, you think there's a line of how far one could go, but his mind is so brilliant and creative that it goes beyond the limitations of my mind. It's limitless.
In your Terrifier 2 return, your character looks drastically different. What is it like working with that amount of prosthetics?
There's the look that we used in the second film and briefly in the first that is just a face prosthetic, and that takes roughly three hours. The second look is in the third film and that was a six to eight-hour process. That is a lot more extensive because I've got arm, leg, and facial prosthetics. It's always an intense process because I have one eye in it for 20 hours filming. I loved everyone that I worked with and we had a lot of fun while we were doing the makeup. It's also about a two-hour process of getting out, and I have ADHD so they joked that I never stopped moving at one point. So I think it made it more difficult for them than for me. But then when you're in it, you're, you look at yourself and it's really helpful for you as the character, but also, it's just really cool. Not many people get to say they get to get put into professional prosthetics by some of the best people in the industry.
Terrifier 3 is coming up and the trailer has teased a larger role for Victoria this time around. What can you tell us about her part in the film?
I always tend to try to avoid saying too much, just because I don't want to spoil anything. I would say that the one thing that always has kind of been consistent with my character over the films is this kind of final girl – or heroine – but descending into madness. Damien has always said Terrifier 3 begins where it left off, which is in that asylum, so we're starting at the peak of that intensity. But I think she has definitely a lot more screen time and a lot more fun.
Damien has teased that this film will have a kill scene that rivals the bedroom scene in Terrifier 2 — would you agree that Terrifier 3 takes it further?
I definitely think it goes a lot further and I think it's a lot darker. Every film is graphic to a certain degree. But as I said, Damien is a boundary pusher. He asks where the line is, or he sees where the line is, and then sets a new bar. It's like a challenge for him, and he pushes it even further. I've seen some scenes that he sent over, and even knowing the scenes that I was involved in they're pretty intense. I think the fans are going to be really, really happy.
You have been with the franchise from the start – what has it been like seeing it grow from an indie slasher to a world-renowned franchise?
it's strange. It feels like an imposter syndrome, per se, because we did the first film in 2016 and it had, like a little bit of a fan base, just because when it went on Netflix. But now, I drove past spirit Halloween the other day, and I said, “Oh, I wonder if Terrifier has some merch in there”. And then I looked at the outside wall, and there was a huge image from Terrifier on the side of the building. It's everywhere now and I'll have friends who send me images from the mall of Terrifier stuff. It's something that is kind of impossible to process, but it's awesome. It started with friends making it, but even through the second and the third, that has remained. It is like a family and that love and the family aspect of it has remained the same, despite Terrifier growing.
What do you think it is about Terrifier that has attracted the dedicated fanbase that it has?
I would always say it's Damien. He's such a fan of horror films, but he's also an amazing director. I know he'll do more horror in the future. It really is him and his mind that makes Terrifier what it is. But it's also a combination of his creativity, being a film fan, and knowing what he wishes to see on the screen. He's someone who really loves films and cares about the audience. He obviously is making something that he loves, and that's his own creation, but he really wants to win the audience over and for them to get their money and their time's worth when they go and see the film. They also have amazing artists like Phil Falcone, George Steuber, David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Catherine Corcoran, and Jenna. There's a consistency that I've noticed in these films where he brings in amazing artists who are also amazing people. Because it's a hard shoot, you appreciate having an amazing group of artists around you. When you go to set and you're doing these gruelling scenes, it's nice to look around and you have familiar faces that are smiling back at you. Another person I'll mention is Olga Turka (costume designer) who was doing so many roles in terms of art. You need these good people to create that energy and that translates onscreen.
Terrifier 3 is released in UK cinemas on October 11, 2024.
