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Damien Leone is moving to the Hollywood studio system for his next original horror project.
Leone, who bootstrapped himself into the top echelons of horror thanks to the Terrifier franchise, has closed a deal to write, direct and produce Tortures of the Damned at Lionsgate. Plot details are unknown, but sources say it is different in tone from Terrifier and will sport a heftier budget than the low-budget Terrifier franchise. He will turn his attention to the project after completing work on the fourth Terrifier movie, which is in pre-production.
Horror maestro Sam Raimi will produce with Rob Tapert through their Ghost House.
Leone came from micro-budget obscurity to create the ultra-profitable, ultra-violent Terrifier movies. The franchise launched in 2016, but Terrifier 2 in 2022 became a life-changing movie for the director. Made for just $250,000, it earned $15.7 million globally and turned antagonist Art the Clown into a Halloween costume icon. He was a one-man show, serving as writer, director, co-producer, editor and sound designer on that movie, as well as working on the VFX.
