Terrifier 4 will depict Art The Clown's heinous backstory

“When I first sat down in the make-up chair with [Damien], I was like, ‘Tell me everything about Art. Who is he? Why does he do what he’s doing?’ Because I just want to know that just for my own self,” Thornton told the crowd. “And he’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ So, over the years, we’ve talked about different things, and we keep changing ideas and all that. So I don’t know what he’s going to land on.” Even though Leone’s plans for Art’s backstory remain unknown, don’t expect Mr. The Clown to get the A24 prestige horror-prequel treatment like another slasher icon we could mention. “We don’t want him to have a sympathetic background,” Thornton said. “In my head, he basically is evil incarnate. He came out of the womb just evil. In my mind, he would have strangled his mother with his own umbilical cord as soon as he came out of the womb… So I’m very interested to see how we tackle it. I’m hoping there are different things we address, like why he’s silent, stuff like that.”

As for whether Terrifier 4, whenever it hits theaters, will be Thornton’s final pratfall as the homicidal clown, the actor said he’s nowhere near done with the character. “I have so much fun with him,” he said. “He’s just a little asshole, and I get away with so much I couldn’t get away with in real life. So, yeah, of course I’d be back.” Leone has previously said that the next film, expected to see the return of Terrifier 3’s final girl, Lauren LaVera, will be the last in the series. “The cast and crew who have been here since the beginning deserve a finale that honors their dedication, and the fans who’ve championed this franchise deserve something unforgettable,” the director said in February.