Terrifier 3creator Damien Leone has explained why the newest installment of the slasher franchise turns the series' original final girl, Vicky Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi) into a villain. Vicky was the only survivor in the firstTerrifiermovie, though suffers from being disfigured and is institutionalized following the events she goes through. However,Terrifier 2’s post-credits scenesees her return, giving birth to Art after he is killed by Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) earlier in the movie. The new movie will see her helping Art during his holiday massacre.
Speaking withScreen Rant, Leone explained the risk involved with making Vicky a villain inTerrifier 3, explaining howshe’s possessed by The Little Pale Girl(Amelie McLain). The creator explained how her involvement in helping Art will explain the lore of the story, revealing what supernatural underpinnings are causing all these events to unfold. He also praised Scaffidi for adjusting to her new role in the story, also happy to see how much positivity she received when the film first premiered at Fantastic Fest in September. Check out what Leone had to say below:
Yeah, well, that character always fascinated me. It always excited me where we left off with her, because it’s not the most typical thing where you have this final girl, or the character we set up to be the final girl, who then turns into a monster, basically. She loses her mind, and she becomes a murderer, and then just finding a way to keep her on a thread through the movie. And in part 2, she plays a pivotal role, and she now plays one of the most important roles in the entire franchise.
She’s essentially possessed by The Little Pale Girl, the apparition that is The Little Pale Girl in part 2 takes Art the Clown’s head, brings it into another dimension, possesses Vicki, because she’s a broken character, and she’s susceptible. Basically, she is able to rebirth Art the Clown into existence. And she’s able to embody her and live in the flesh. And I thought that was so cool that that character now has a way to interact with anyone, and you learn what the ultimate goal of that evil is, and why it chose Art the Clown, and how Sienna becomes sort of anointed to combat that character. How all these puzzle pieces start to come together.
It’s so different than anything that I’d seen in a slasher film before, and it was one of the things that excited me that I could really explore this supernatural aspect of the evil, and what brings your boogeyman back to life. Why do they suddenly become supernatural? I really wanted to explore that as if it was a character, instead of just glossing over and saying, “It’s just the trope. It’s what the boogeyman does.” That’s become one of the most exciting things to me.
And it was super exciting to see what Samantha Scaffidi could do with the role now, because it was unlike anything she’d ever done, or anything we really explored before with the character, and now we’ve just turned her into this ultimate evil. Basically, I wanted to make sure she didn’t become a sidekick, because you don’t want Art the Clown to become overshadowed by anyone. It’s a risky move. Art the Clown’s doing just fine on his own, he doesn’t really need villains, but this character was so organic, it was so necessary, as I was writing this, and she’s got some of the greatest scenes in this movie.
After the first premiere at Fantastic Fest, audience members were saying that she was the MVP, and she really stood out to them. So that was exciting to hear. I’m excited for people to see her character.
What Vicky’s Return Means For Terrifier 3
There’s Now Two Threats Sienna Has To Deal With
Leone’s explanation for whyTerrifier 3’s storywill see Vicky as an antagonist highlights the many mysterious, supernatural components the slasher films have that will continue to be explored in the new movie. SinceThe Little Pale Girl will be working through her as Art carries out his revenge, it seems there will be more to her return than simply acting as another monster. Her possession could mean the real version of herself is still somewhere inside, making the supernatural elements of the franchise stand out even more in the newest installment.
I’m So Happy To See Lauren LaVera’s Sienna Back In Terrifier 3
Art the Clown is returning to ruin Christmas in Terrifier 3, and I’m happy the sequel is avoiding a classic final girl trope by bringing back Sienna.
Much like Sienna, Vicky is a victim of Art’s murder spree, having lost everyone she cared about at the end of the first movie, leading to a psychic break that allowed her to get possessed. It’s possible this will be further explored in the film,perhaps giving the original final girl her own character arc despite now being the killer clown’s partner in crime. Given the manypositive reviews forTerrifier 3from attendees of Fantastic Fest, there could be more nuance to her character than expected as the holiday murders develop.
Our Take On Vicky’s Return In Terrifier 3
It’s A Bold Move That Makes The Sequel Unique
By having Vicky return as a villain,Terrifier 3inverts the idea of the final girl trope, making her a villain instead of a continuous victim of Art. However, since The Little Pale Girl possessed her, we’d be interested in seeing how this impacts the real version of the character, whose soul might still reside somewhere inside her. While it’s unclear how this will impact the story moving forward, praise aimed at her character means plenty of memorable moments for her when the movie arrives in theaters on October 11.
It’s possible Vicky will also return forTerrifier 4, which Leone confirmed was in development in September.
Terrifier 3
Cast
Terrifier 3 follows Sienna and her brother as they attempt to move past the traumatic events of Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre. As they embrace the Christmas season, Art reemerges, intent on turning their holiday into a nightmare, continuing his reign of terror.
