"Terrifier 4" plans to fully reveal the origins of Art the Clown and answer questions such as why he remains silent. Lead actor David Howard Thornton hopes the character will remain purely evil and expressed his willingness to reprise the role in the future.
Recalling a panel at Chattanooga Comic Con, Thornton shared that when he first took on the role, he asked writer-director Damien Leone who Art was and why he killed, but Leone didn't have a definitive answer at the time. The two continued to discuss various ideas, which changed multiple times, so Thornton still isn't sure which version of the backstory will be used in the final cut.
However, Thornton confirmed that the team discussed a clear direction: not to give Art a sympathetic backstory. He personally interprets Art as the "embodiment of evil" and hopes that the new film will explain the reason for the character's silence while revealing his origins.
"Terrifier 4" could also be the final film in the series, but this has not been confirmed. Thornton stated that he hasn't had enough of playing Art yet and is willing to return if given the opportunity in the future.
The franchise's commercial performance has continued to grow: "Terrifier 2" had a production budget of $250,000 and grossed over $15 million worldwide; "Terrifier 3" saw its budget increase to $2 million, with box office earnings exceeding $98 million. Art has also appeared in Funko collectibles, Fortnite skins, and Halloween: The Game Horror Nights events.