Art the Clown may be a murderous demon, but don’t call him political. At least not in front of Terrifier creator and director Damien Leone. Despite themes of religion, female-centric heroism, body autonomy, and more being woven into the smash hit Terrifier franchise, Leone took a firm stance with a statement yesterday (2/3/25.)
“Terrifier is NOT in any way, shape, or form a political franchise. I did not get into filmmaking to become a politician or promote any political agendas or ideologies, especially through a killer clown movie,” Leone shared.
“Since Terrifier 1, our cast and crew has and still consists of both republicans and democrats and anyone is welcome to be a part of it regardless of their political affiliations as long as they’re a decent human being. That goes for our fan base as well. If this doesn’t sit well with any cast/crew members, that is your right and I respect it. You don’t have to buy a ticket and you don’t have to work on these films. Thank you and I recommend you don’t let toxic rhetoric on either side of the political spectrum deter you from being a Terrifier fan,” he added.
Horror is inherently political as it predicates on societal fears. Considering the timing and persecution of marginalized communities under a new presidential administration, the timing of this pledge of neutrality felt jarring to say the least. Terrifier cast members such as Trans actress Pooya Moohseni and Queer actor David Howard Thornton have championed Leone’s artistry, despite Leone missing this opportunity to align his independent production with their protection.
Major credit is due to influencer Xero Gravity who clapped back best on X stating, “Horror has always been political (even the bad ones.) That’s just punk rock, mate. It takes mad privilege to attempt to remove yourself from it. Good luck wit dat.”
The clown emoji that followed seemed very apt…for many reasons.