Terrifier 2 Was Never Banned But Art The Clown Was Censored In One Country
"Terrifier 2" was a certified hit when it came out in 2022, instantly establishing itself and its predecessor as cult horror classics. However, the sequel garnered a lot more attention than the first "Terrifier," due to positive word of mouth and some reports of people having physical reactions to watching the film in theaters.
With the gratuitous violence and gore perpetrated by Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), one might assume that "Terrifier 2" could have been banned in certain areas or countries. While an outright ban never occurred, the movie received some censorship. Germany has fairly strict laws when it comes to blood and violence in motion pictures, but "Terrifier 2" was allowed to be released uncensored in German movie theaters. However, the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft, the country's movie rating system organization, has stricter guidelines when it comes to home releases. Therefore, copies of "Terrifier 2" released in Germany on Blu-ray and DVD were censored.
Even with the censored discs, only about three minutes of film were cut from "Terrifier 2." It came down to limiting the bloody violence and removing most of the deaths seen in the film. Fortunately for anyone who needed their bloody fixes, the movie was still available uncut on Amazon Prime Video and iTunes.
The Australian government also had harsh words for Terrifier 2
With German horror fans wanting to see Art the Clown in all his gory glory and not accidentally wind up with a censored version, fans like u/Phyliinx issuing a warning on Reddit to other cinephiles about which edition to look out for. "Tiberius Film sells censored copies of 'Terrifier' and 'Terrifier 2' in basic keep cases," they wrote. "Nameless Media, on the other hand, sells the uncut version of both movies in expensive, extremely limited special editions which are almost always sold out once they go on sale." Of course, if someone did end up with a censored copy of "Terrifier 2," certain websites helpfully posted screenshots of the most gruesome moments cut from the film.
Germany may have censored "Terrifier 2," but it earned some ire in other countries as well. The Australian government had harsh words for the horror flick, issuing a warning on the website for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts which read, "The film features a series of murders that include copious amounts of blood and graphic injury detail such as mutilation, decapitation and dismemberment." In the end, however, government organizations reacting so strongly to "Terrifier 2" likely only increased some people's interest in seeing it, to the point where expectations are through the roof for "Terrifier 3."
But how did American markets react?
Despite Art the Clown's cult classic status now, 2016's "Terrifier" received lackluster reviews from critics and audiences. Some Rotten Tomatoes critics deemed the film "vapid and mean-spirited" whereas others described it as lacking in plot, characters, and purpose. However, "Terrifier 2" transformed Art's shlocky roots into an intriguing '80s-nostalgia-filled slasher that gained back the trust and approval of critics and horror movie fans alike — ranking in approximately $10 million in domestic box office sales on a reportedly $250,000 budget.
Although fans can certainly find several DIY petitions out there from angry parents, there wasn't much critical backlash — even trades like Variety praised its "slasher dreamscape" and its splatter callbacks. While "Terrifier 2" didn't nab any Oscars in 2022, the film's production company, Bloody Disgusting, still submitted its gorefest to the Academy for its consideration. Yes, this was mostly done in jest — befitting for a clown-themed horror flick — but it also shows how little restriction was placed upon this outing.
In November 2023, movie theaters throughout America even brought Art the Clown back to the big screen as a way to hype up his future outing in "Terrifier 3." Screenings were held with the promise that audiences would be treated to never-before-seen footage of Art in his upcoming holiday-themed misadventure.
Will Terrifier 3 face bans or censorship?
So, how far will Art's upcoming film go? Well, if the past two film production histories are anything to go by ... maybe it won't be too outlandish to assume some form of censorship (or at least age-restriction releases) will emerge stateside or globally. A huge change from the first and second films was its budget growth — ballooning from a reported $35,000 to $250,000. As its budget increased, so did the creative team's ability to pull off such gruesome and technically difficult kill scenes. Truly never thought audiences would see someone's head used as a candy bowl in a film — but that's horror for you! — and only one bloody bit of the messy gore that encompasses "Terrifier 2."
As reported by Deadline, "Terrifier 3" will have a budget within the low-mid seven-figure range. With a million-dollar budget, there is no telling how much more disturbingly graphic the series will take things nor how the general public will react. But if the first teaser trailer for "Terrifier 3" is anything to go by with its kid-chilling monster in the spotlight, don't be surprised if there's an increase in parental petitions circulating the internet.