Terrifier: From failed crowdfunding to one of the most successful movies, backed by fans

The Terrifier franchise gathered its crowdfunding over two distinct stages: a failed campaign for the original 2016 film that accidentally secured a private producer, followed by a massively successful viral campaign for the 2022 sequel. Director Damien Leone leveraged these fundraisers on Indiegogo by offering unique, hands-on horror perks to his niche audience.

Terrifier 1 (2016): The Failed Goal that Found an Investor

In 2015, Damien Leone launched an Indiegogo Campaign for Terrifier to turn his short films and the anthology All Hallows’ Eve into a feature-length film centered around Art the Clown.

The Silver Lining: Even though the public goal wasn’t met, the active Indiegogo page acted as a beacon. Filmmaker and producer Phil Falcone noticed the fundraiser. Impressed by Leone’s practical effects work, Falcone offered to personally step in and fund the remaining micro-budget gap ($35,000) in exchange for a producer credit.

The Result: The initial public crowdfunding campaign actually failed, reaching only 29% of its total financial goal.

Terrifier 2 (2022): The Viral Success

Once the first movie debuted on streaming networks like Netflix, it developed a passionate, die-hard cult following. When Leone needed to build a massive, practical effects-heavy centerpiece scene for the sequel, he turned back to the fans.

• The Goal: A modest $50,000.
• The Surge: The campaign blew past its target in just 2 hours and 34 minutes.
• The Total: Nearly 1,000 backers raised over $215,000 to $250,000 (more than 430% of the initial goal).

The Perks That Drove Crowdfunding Traction

The Terrifier 2 Indiegogo Campaign didn’t just ask for handouts; it functioned as a horror fan’s dream store by utilizing Leone’s specialized practical effects skills. Backers could purchase tiers that included: [1, 2, 3]

• The MacDaddy Perk: Five donors paid high tiers to invent a customized kill scene for Art the Clown to perform on an actor in the movie’s bonus features.
• On-Screen Deaths: Opportunities for donors to physically fly out to the set, be an extra, and get murdered on camera by Art.
• Handcrafted Collectibles: Custom Art the Clown Funko Pops and scale busts sculpted and painted by director Damien Leone himself.
• Screen-Worn Memorabilia: Direct access to screen-worn attire, autographed scripts, and actual movie props used during production.

Would you like to know more about the specific practical effects funded by this campaign, or how the sequel’s budget compares to its massive box office return?