As Terrifier 3 continues to gag audiences (literally), religious protesters have started to gather outside screens to oppose the gory tale of Art the Clown.
Terrifier 3 has already succeeded in piquing everyone’s interest thanks to rumors of audience members fainting during screenings, but having a religious group protest outside of your movie is some of the best free marketing one might hope for.
Art the Clown actor David Howard Thornton posted a snap of a screening outside the B&B Theatres Mainstreet KC in Kansas City to his Instagram on October 11, showing a group of what appears to be Christian protesters outside a showing of the new movie.
Holding a sign that says: “Keep Christ in Christmas! We protest the satanic Santa Terrifier 3 movie showing here,” it’s clear that the biggest point of contention for these nay-sayers is the inclusion of Santa Claus imagery included in the film.
Accompanying the image, Thornton simply wrote: “We’re going something right!”
For those who remember the backlash surrounding 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night, the scene will feel eerily similar. When the ’80s Christmas horror movie was released, mass protests occurred outside of movie theaters and malls, leading to the movie itself eventually being pulled from theatrical release.
As one Reddit user noted, “This keeps happening since 1984 during Silent Night Deadly Night’s premiere. It’s like a ritual now. It’s almost heartwarming at this point.”
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Another noted the extraordinary luck, writing: “I was just thinking how awesome it would be for this movie’s marketing for this to happen lmao.”
“If that was happening at a theater near me, I’d go over to the protesters, and I’d be like, ‘OMG! There’s really a satanic Santa Claus movie playing here? Cool! Thanks for the recommendation!’,” teased another.
Of course, some fans are hesitant to believe that the above protests are actually legitimate, with one user noting: “But is it real? lol. I trust nothing when it comes to the marketing of these films.”
Regardless, it’s a neat trick, and certainly an effective way of getting more curious horror fans into theaters.
For more, check out what the goriest scene in Terrifier 3 is. You can also find out how to stream the new movie, and learn more about Terrifier 3’s cliffhanger ending. Don’t miss all the other 2024 horror movies to be excited about!
