UPDATE: France’s film classification committee has slapped slasher film Terrifier 3 with an under-18s ban – the first ruling of its kind for a horror film in nearly 20 years.
Damien Leone’s latest entry in the horror franchise featuring the psychopathic Art the Clown is still scheduled to open on October 9, however the restrictive ruling has not been used since Saw 3 in 2006 and the French distributors are up in arms.
Factoris Films, Shadowz Films and ESC Editions said in a joint statement: “We can only deplore this unexpected final decision, which will severely hamper the release of the film, eagerly awaited by tens of thousands of French viewers and scheduled for October 9 (and of course maintained)”.
The distributors defended the film’s “grand-guignolistic and unrealistic” aspect, arguing that “viewers will have all the distance and maturity they need to understand and appreciate this artistic approach”.
They added, “The audience for these films, even if they are teenagers, are cinephiles who are passionate and respectful of the films and the cinemas that show them… We remind you that four of our recent releases, including Terrifier 2, were forbidden to minors under 16, and none of them caused the slightest outburst in cinemas.”
Terrifier 2 opened in France on November 1 2023 and sold 70,939 tickets. It earned more than $15m worldwide, including more than $10m in North America.
The latest film sees David Howard Thornton reprise his lead role and shifts the action from Halloween to Christmas Eve. The cast includes Lauren LaVera, Margaret Anne Florence, and Samantha Scaffidi.
Terrifier 3 will open unrated on October 11 in North America through Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting in association with Iconic Events Releasing. The Coven handles sales.
This article was amended on October 7 to specify the ruling is the first of its kind for a horror film – not any film – in nearly 18 years.
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