The return of Art the Clown has given UK distributor Signature Entertainment a lot to celebrate this week. The release of Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 has broken Signature’s record for its largest-ever opening weekend at the UK & Ireland box office with a £1,049,000 total. This chainsaws through their previous record of Orphan: First Kill’s £464,616 opening gross in 2022.
Signature has been the UK and Ireland home for the first and second Terrifier films. This third in Damien Leone’s hit indie horror series follows Lauren LaVera’s survivor Sienna, who is plagued by disturbing visions and begins to realise there’s no escaping her past, or outrunning Art the Clown.
Terrifier 3’s UK and Irish box office success marks it as the highest-opening for an 18-certificated horror film in 2024, beating out vampire horror Abigail and 80s-set star-studded slasher MaXXXine plus Sydney Sweeney starrerImmaculate.
It has also set a new record as 2024’s highest UK & Irish box office opening for an 18-certificated independent film – the record was previously held by Northern Irish rapper biopic Kneecap.
Both the U.S. and UK & Irish box office success continue a rising trend establishing the Terrifier franchise as one of the biggest independent horrors of the last decade, with previous sequel Terrifier 2 scaring up over $15,000,000 at the U.S. box office from a budget of $250,000.
The film, which currently sits Certified Fresh and Verified Hot on Rotten Tomatoes (an achievement only garnered by 6 other films in 2024), made international headlines last week for 11 attendees at its UK Gala Premiere fleeing the cinema, with cinema security reporting 9 walkouts in the openings scene, and one attendee having thrown up, alongside two attendees fainting at the Australian premiere.
