After “Terrifier 2” became a surprise hit in 2022, the saga’s murderous mute harlequin Art the Clown returned for more bloody mayhem in 2024’s “Terrifier 3,” one of the nastiest horror movies ever made. Whether you had the stomach to watch Art’s unhinged killing spree unfold in that latest installment or not, you have to give it to franchise creator Damien Leone for managing to top the utter depravity of his previous effort.

The director had set a precedent with the first film in the series, 2016’s “Terrifier,” wherein he did everything he could to advertise the fact that his splatter-fest was not your typical Hollywood slasher. Heck, Art sawed a woman in half from the pelvic region to the head in that movie. Yet somehow every subsequent entry in the saga has managed to up the violence level, leaving fans to wonder how on earth Leone will outdo the barbarity of the recent threequel with his upcoming “Terrifier 4.”

After “Terrifier 3” absolutely killed it at the box office, a follow-up was guaranteed, and it seems the upcoming fourth installment might well be the last. In October of 2024, Leone spoke to Variety, telling the outlet that he couldn’t see the franchise “going further than one or two more films.” We haven’t yet had any official confirmation of whether the fourth movie will in fact be the last “Terrifier” installment, but a new Instagram post from Leone seems to suggest that will be the case. What’s more, the director has revealed that his script for “Terrifier 4” will finally reveal the origin story of Art the Clown, who thus far has remained somewhat of a mystery as he’s embarked on his viscera-filled misadventures.

When “Terrifier” debuted in 2016, it was little more than an excuse for Damien Leone’s scary clown character to extract gore from a parade of victims. But when “Terrifier 2” debuted, it injected some lore into the storyline, with protagonist Sienna (Lauren LaVera) shown to be linked to Art the Clown in some mysterious, cosmic way. The teen’s magical sword, which belonged to her late father, appears to be the only weapon capable of taking down Art, who is otherwise invincible. “Terrifier 3” also confirmed that Art’s killing rampages help demons from another realm enter Earth and possess host bodies, with Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) being the unfortunate bearer of the evil entity in “Terrifier 3,” which otherwise left a lot of questions unanswered.

At the end of that film, having been thwarted by Sienna, Art is seen waiting for a bus and looking like he might just be over his whole slaughtering of innocent people schtick. But one final menacing honk of his toy horn suggests there’s plenty of murderous energy left in the harlequin. Still, by the end of the threequel, the audience is none the wiser as to Art’s actual origins.

Now, Leone has posted to Instagram where he revealed that he’s working on the script for “Terrifier 4,” and that it will not only serve as the conclusion to the saga, but will finally reveal the origin of Art the Clown.

After thanking users for their birthday wishes, Leone confirmed that he’s in the midst of writing the script for “Terrifier 4” and promised it will be the “most epic, horrifying, thrilling, emotional and satisfying conclusion to the ‘Terrifier’ saga.” Even more intriguing, however, is his promise to “finally reveal Art’s origin in this entry.”

Art the Clown actually first appeared as a supporting character in Damien Leone’s 2008 short film, “The 9th Circle.” Initially just one of many horrific beasts populating Leone’s horror short, Art returned for the short film “Terrifier” in 2011, before making his feature-film debut in 2013’s “All Hallows’ Eve.” In all of these instances, Art seemed like some guy with a penchant for carrying out horrific murders, and the role was played by a friend of Leone’s, Mike Giannelli. But Art the Clown was recast for the first official “Terrifier” film in 2016, with David Howard Thornton winning the role after a nasty bit of improv during his audition. Thornton has since portrayed the character in all three “Terrifier” films, turning Art into a burgeoning horror icon in the process.

But at no point in this long on-screen journey have we learned the true origin of Art the Clown. All we know is that he possesses supernatural abilities, never talks, has a twisted sense of humor, and is seemingly invincible. What we don’t know is whether Leone envisioned the character as just another demon who has managed to force his way through a portal to Earth, or whether he was a human who became possessed. Perhaps he was just a regular guy who lost his mind and began carrying out horrific killing sprees, leading demonic forces to gravitate towards him. Whatever the case, it seems we will finally discover the truth when “Terrifier 4” debuts.

As of yet, there’s no official release date for the movie, but there are sure to be some big announcements coming over the next few months.