Art the Clown’s little tophat absent from Terrifier 3 teaser

Ask any Terrifier fan—any one of them—what their favorite part of the micro-budget slasher series is and they’ll all say the same thing: Art the Clown’s cute little tophat. Like Freddy’s claw, Jason’s hockey mask, or Leatherface’s tie, Art’s teensy bit of formalwear is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most vital element of the character, establishing him as a dedicated follower of fashion and a cheeky little monkey. So imagine the good little boys and girls tiptoeing down the stairs on Christmas morning only to discover the teaser for Terrifier 3 under the tree. What are we going to tell them when they ask where Art the Clown’s adorable tiny tophat is?

Released earlier today, the teaser for Terrifier 3 sees our typically fashionable mute clown trading his beloved, classic headgear for a Santa Claus cap. Now, we understand that this is all in the pursuit of Art’s longstanding mission of being the terrifier, and that’s a “no days off” kind of gig. Art’s working Christmas. In the teaser, using the siren song of sleigh bells and rising clatter, Art lures a child from their bed on Christmas Eve in hopes of murdering them and eating cookies. We all know Art likes to play with his food, but did he have to throw the baby out with the bathwater? Couldn’t a miniature Santa cap suffice? Heck, he could’ve grabbed the sock top off an Elf on the Shelf in a pinch, and yet, we’re stuck with an Art sevely lacking in little hats.

Despite this rare misstep from Art, Terrifier 3 promises another stylish slasher from writer/director Damien Leone, the tiny hat enthusiast behind the first two Terrifiers, as well as the anthology film All Hallows’ Eve. Joining Leone is David Howard Thornton, who has played Art since 2016 and has been teaching Kate Middleton a thing or two about keeping an itty-bitty chapeau on the edge of the head since 2016.

Terrifier 3 opens on October 25, 2024.