Damien Leone is expanding his horror footprint beyond Art the Clown. Lionsgate has officially acquired Tortures of the Damned, a new original horror film Leone will write, direct, and produce.
Plot details are unknown, but sources say the project will be different in tone from Terrifier and will carry a heftier budget than the low-budget franchise.
Leone will turn his attention to the project after completing Terrifier 4, which is currently in pre-production. Tortures of the Damned will notably be his first movie made with a studio, as all three Terrifier films were independently made with very low budgets.
Joining him on the project is horror royalty. Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert will produce through their Ghost House label alongside Leone. Raimi is already in the Lionsgate business, set to direct a remake of the horror classic Magic for the studio. Scott O’Brien and Pavan Kalidindi will oversee for Lionsgate, while Romel Adam and Jose Cañas will oversee the project for Ghost House and executive produce.
Lionsgate’s enthusiasm for the deal was made clear from the top.
“We’re incredibly proud and excited to be partnering with Damien Leone on his first original film after the beloved Terrifier series. I join the huge contingency of horror fans — and Damien fans — inside Lionsgate who have been following his work and cheering him on.”
Erin Westerman, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group
A Significant Leap for Leone
The deal marks a significant leap for Leone, whose career was built entirely outside the studio system. The franchise launched in 2016, but Terrifier 2 in 2022 became a life-changing movie for the director. Made for just $250,000, it earned $15.7 million globally and turned antagonist Art the Clown into a Halloween costume icon. Terrifier 3 then went further, earning $90 million worldwide on a $2 million budget.
Before Tortures of the Damned gets underway, Leone still has a major commitment to honor. Terrifier 4 is set on New Year’s Eve. Thus continuing the franchise’s tradition of holiday-themed carnage. Leone promised fans the script would take the series to its conclusion and dive deeper into Art the Clown’s origins. At Texas Frightmare Weekend, he told attendees: “I know this word gets used a lot, but it’s going to be epic. It’s not going to disappoint. You’re going to get Art’s backstory, in the first 15 minutes of the movie.”
Tortures of the Damned currently does not have a release date. Still, for a filmmaker who once made movies with pocket change, landing at a major studio with Sam Raimi in his corner is a chapter of its own.
