How a Robert Zemeckis Christmas Horror Inspired Damien Leone’s ‘Terrifier 3’

‘Terrifier 3’ is the latest installment in the popular franchise starring Art the Clown. After the success of ‘Terrifier 2,’ Damien Leone started writing ‘Terrifier 3’ with a bigger story. He decided to focus more on the character Victoria since he felt she wasn’t developed enough in the first movie.

Leone also decided to move Art the Clown away from Halloween for the threequel. He shared that his love for Christmas horror inspired the violent scenes in the new movie. Instead of a classic Christmas horror film like ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night,’ Leone was inspired by a TV episode directed by Robert Zemeckis, which led him to create his own version of vicious Santa.

The idea of having Art take over Christmas started during the making of ‘Terrifier 2.’ While driving to the set, producer Phil Falcone saw Christmas decorations and suggested bringing Art into the holiday season.

Leone liked the idea. He also mentioned how much he loves the 1974 movie ‘Black Christmas’ and even added a reference to it in ‘Terrifier 3.’ However, he felt ‘Black Christmas’ didn’t have the killer Santa or the “Christmas horror atmosphere” that inspired him for the new movie.

He admitted that his favorite Christmas horror episode is ‘And All Through the House’ from ‘Tales from the Crypt’ (Season 1). This episode is based on a 1972 British film and a short story where a wife kills her husband, only to be interrupted by a killer dressed as Santa Claus.

Leone prefers the 1989 remake, which he feels is better than the original. He thinks the remake is more stylish, funny, and creepy, making it a great holiday horror experience.

My favorite horror Christmas episode ever is called ‘And All Through the House’

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In ‘Terrifier 3,’ Art the Clown replaces the nearly silent Santa from the original ‘And All Through the House’ with his own brand of violent Christmas chaos. Art doesn’t speak, but he makes an impact, smashing doors and attacking victims with an axe. Similar to the original story, Art encounters a little girl who mistakes him for Santa, but his ending is far more brutal.

A creepy moment shows Art eating cookies left for Santa and washing the plate after killing a family. One memorable scene shows Art heading to a college dorm, wearing festive sunglasses and carrying deadly weapons, all while a spooky Christmas carol plays.

After checking out ‘Terrifier 3,’ fans should check out the ‘Tales from the Crypt’ episode for a great mix of horror and holiday cheer.

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