There are two clowns at this past weekend’s box office but only one is laughing. After a box office weekend flop for “Joker: Folie à Deux,” a different clown from “Terrifier 3” stole the top spot.
A market for “Terrifier 3’s” opening weekend box office went live on Polymarket on Oct. 8 and the three days leading up to the film’s release date were filled with uncertainty. By midnight on the release date, 57% of bettors predicted the film would debut under $16 million. However, by the end of the day, the $16-19 million option pulled ahead with 50.5%.
By the end of that weekend, predictions were even higher with the $16-19 million option battling for the top choice with the more than $19 million option. By the weekend’s end, the $16-19 million option emerged on top, as the movie earned $18.3 million in its opening weekend.
Feeling proud and grateful 🤡🎉 I got to see Terrifier 3 in a packed theater in Times Square last night and I seriously never experienced anything like it. The energy of the crowd was truly something to behold 🤯🔥 #terrifier3 #arttheclown https://t.co/P06Of6vMiv
— Damien Leone (@damienleone) October 13, 2024
This is an incredible performance for this movie and here’s why.
‘Terrifier 3’s’ impressive opening weekend office debut
The Damien Leone-directed “Terrifier 3” follows Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) tormenting Sienna (Lauren LaVera) and her brother again but this time during the holiday season.
This horror film is unrated and extremely graphic and gory. In fact, at a UK screening of the film, 11 people walked out and one person vomited according to the film’s distributor’s official X account. The film’s goriness even led to a rare ban not allowing anyone under the age of 18 to watch the movie in France. The last time this happened was for Saw III in 2007.
Thank you to everyone joining us last night for the 'Terrifier 3' gala. Venue staff have reported 11 people walking out and 1 person vomiting. If the #Terrifier3 event impacted you please let us know if you need more support at this time. https://t.co/3jSmPIF9sk
— Signature Entertainment 🎬 (@SignatureEntUK) October 3, 2024
Despite the niche and hyperviolent nature of the film, the film performed exceptionally well on its opening weekend. Its performance was surprising because this is an indie film with a budget of only $2 million. And this isn’t the first time the film was able to make a large profit. Leone’s first Terrifier (2016) only cost $35,000 and made over ten times its budget at the box office. In a similar fashion, the sequel’s $250,000 budget had a box office performance of over $15 million.
‘Terrifier 3’ beats out ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’
What is even more exceptional is “Terrifer 3” became the No. 1 movie in America this past weekend beating out fellow clown-starring musical film “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Joker 2 has a reported budget of $200 million but was only able to make an abysmal $7 million on its second weekend – making it the worst drop in history for a comic book movie. This is an impressive 81% decline.
“Terrifier 3” didn’t just beat out “Joker: Folie à Deux” at the box office but also in critical reception. “Terrifier 3” has a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while “Joker: Folie à Deux” has a rotten score of 33%. The user scores also have a similarly stark difference with Art the Clown receiving an 89% and the Joker receiving a 32%.
With a small budget and a niche, hyper-violent film, “Terrifier 3” beat out “Joker 2” in more ways than one. Art the Clown has taken center stage, leaving no doubt that sometimes, it’s the underdog that gets the last laugh.
