“Terrifier 3” stunned the industry this weekend by having a $19M opening weekend. The film was made for $2M and decided to go unrated, bypassing any MPA stamping.
THR has learned that far more people saw “Terrifier 3” than the numbers indicate. Theaters carrying the film, including the three biggest chains (AMC, Cinemark and Regal) are treating “Terrifier 3” as if it were an R-rated film, and trying to turn away anyone who is 17 or younger if unaccompanied by a parent or guardian.
The trade’s sources do note that over the weekend, Universal’s “The Wild Robot” had a noticeable and unusual bump in tickets sold and speculate that teenagers probably bought tickets to ‘Wild Robot’ and then snuck into “Terrifier 3.” The trend continued on Monday’s holiday.
“Terrifier 3” won’t be the last film of the franchise. Director Damian Leon recently confirmed that he is set helm “Terrifier 4” and that there is the possibility of “one more” film after that one. This is a franchise that banks on the grotesque, and audiences seem to have responded to it, in droves.