Damien Leone

Damien Leone (born January 29, 1982)^[1] is an American filmmaker, film editor, and special effects artist. He is best known for writing and directing All Hallows' Eve (2013), Terrifier (2016), Terrifier 2 (2022), and Terrifier 3 (2024), each of which feature his character Art the Clown.^[2]

Damien Leone
Leone in 2024
Born	(1982-01-29) January 29, 1982 (age 43)
Occupations	Filmmaker film editor special effects artist
Known for	Terrifier franchise

Career

In 2016, Terrifier was released. Among other credits, Leone wrote and directed the film, which eventually became a cult film and for which he was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Makeup FX.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]} In 2022, Leone returned for the sequel, Terrifier 2. Terrifier 2 was received favorably by critics and was a hit at the box office, grossing more than $15 million on a $250,000 budget.^{[10][11][12][13][14][15]} Leone was again nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award Best Makeup FX, for his work on Terrifier 2, which he later won.^[16][17]

Leone next directed and wrote Terrifier 3 and co-produced Stream, both 2024 films for which he also provided special effects.^{[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]}Terrifier 4, which Leone has said could possibly be the conclusion of the franchise, is currently in the works.^[26]

Personal life

Leone grew up in the Great Kills section of Staten Island, New York.^[27]

Filmography

Year	Film	Director	Writer	Producer	Editor	Makeup/Special Effects	Notes	References
2005	Love	No	No	No	No	Yes		[28]
2008	The 9th Circle	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Short film, first appearance of Art the Clown
2011	Terrifier	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Short film
2013	All Hallows' Eve	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Anthology film	[29][30]
2015	Frankenstein vs. The Mummy	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes		[31][32]
	Laugh Killer Laugh	No	No	No	No	Yes		[28]
	All Hallows' Eve 2	No	No	Yes	No	No	Anthology film	[33]
2016	Terrifier	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		[34]
2022	Terrifier 2	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		[35]
2024	Stream	No	No	Yes	No	Yes		[36][37]
	Terrifier 3	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes		[18][19][20][23][24][38]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	References
2011	ShockerFest	Audience Choice Award	Terrifier	Won
2012	Louisville Fright Night Film Fest	Best "Grindhouse" Film		Won
2015	Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards	Best Independent Film	Frankenstein vs. The Mummy	Nominated
2019	Fangoria Chainsaw Awards	Best Limited Release	Terrifier	Nominated	[3]
		Best Makeup FX		Nominated
2022	Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards	Breakthrough Director	Terrifier 2	Nominated	[39]
2023	Fangoria Chainsaw Awards	Best Makeup FX		Won	[16][17]