ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke to Terrifier 3 star Lauren LaVera about the violent horror movie. LaVera discussed the Christmas-themed movie, working with her co-stars, and more. Cineverse will release the horror sequel in theaters on October 11.
“After surviving Art the Clown’s Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they’re safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe,” says the synopsis.
Tyler Treese: Terrifier 3 is your second Terrifier film. I assume there was like a bit of an adjustment period filming one of those. So how was it going in the second time, and knowing fully what you signed up for?
Lauren LaVera: Well, luckily for me, we had filmed Terrifier 2. We wrapped four years ago, so I had plenty of time to recover. So, by the time we got to Terrifier 3, I was ready and psyched to do this. That was because of the pandemic. It was because of the strike. There was so much that was stopping us from just jumping into to 3. I know it feels like it wasn’t that long ago because it just released in 2022, but that was five years in the making that film. This time it was so much nicer because we had so many more hands on deck, so many more talented artists that we included in the crew, and they were all so willing and, and such hard workers. It was easier experience, not so much emotionally, but just in terms of filming on a movie set, it was a much easier experience thanks to these wonderful new artists.
You talked about the time between the films because when I was watching the film, they were like, “Five years have passed,” and I’m like, “No way.” But yeah, it really had been that long and you need to skip because your younger brother in the film, Elliott Fullam, he’s obviously aged quite a bit from 2. How was it working with him again?
It’s a dream working with Elliott. I love him so much. He truly is like a brother to me and his parents, Justin and Daniella, and his girlfriend Josie, they’re my family in real life through and through. We spend so much time together. I’m so in awe with him as an artist, as a musician, but that’s a story for another day. He’s really truly upped his game this time around.
Especially there is a particular scene between Jonathan and Sienna where they’re understanding what’s happening and unfolding. They’re having a conversation about it, and it’s a pretty intense scene. Elliott and I got to improv a lot in that scene, and Damien kept it in, so I was so psyched about that we were working that scene. Like the day of, we were just going back and forth, and I could just feel how much he’s grown as an artist since then. So I was so, so excited to work with him.
Another aspect I like about this film is that it really deals with the after-effects of what happened in Terrifier 2. So how was it kinda exploring those character moments of seeing the trauma and how that’s impacting their lives going forward?
Yeah, I was so excited to dig my teeth into that because trauma is very much an ongoing theme with Final Girls and survivors in horror films, but I think that we really got to approach it in a new, different, and exciting way, in a truly honest and vulnerable way. Damien really gave me free reign of being able to discover the emotions of Sienna. He’s so collaborative and he’s willing to let me do my take on it. He’ll give me notes maybe, and depending on what ends up in the edit, it truly feels like a collaborative experience. So I was so psyched to deal with the aftermath, and it’s one of the most exciting things about the film for me, aside from the wonderful practical effects.
You mentioned the word intense, and whenever I talk to Damien, there’s an intensity from him just because he’s so passionate about these projects, and this really is his baby. Not that all directors aren’t passionate about the art they’re creating, but when you’re working with someone who does have such a vision and such a passion for this whole franchise, how does that kind of help you? Because it seems like he really wants the best product on the screen.
I love that you brought that up because the stakes are really high for Damien. He doesn’t have a whole Hollywood production behind him. He is truly making the work he wants to make. He’s telling the story he wants to tell, and he listens to fans intently. He cares about what people wanna see in his films because he’s fully aware that, aside from, of course, his skill and his talent, the fans have catapulted him into this realm that maybe most people wouldn’t expect that he would be able to achieve.
But the thing about Damien is he’s always known that he would achieve this because there was no other option for him. Working with him is such an invigorating experience because it’s so inspiring. Even when we DM each other and I, I tell him the projects I’m working on and what I’m writing and you know, how I might have some imposter syndrome about it and some reservations about it, and his motto is “Just do it.” He says it in a joking way, but he means it because that’s what he’s always done. He’s always just done it. He just like goes full speed ahead reaching for his goal, and to be even near someone that passionate makes you wanna be a better artist. So, like I said, it invigorates me in ways that are still surprising to me.
Fans have really embraced this franchise, and they’ve really embraced you as Terrifier’s Final Girl. How’s it been getting catapulted into Scream Queen territory with all these legends? Horror fans just show out for their icons like nobody else.
Well, I’ll first start with saying that horror fans are some of the best genre of fans you could ever ask to have. They really are so loyal and so passionate, and I think that’s a testament to the type of movies that they watch. They watch really passionately told stories where, again, the stakes are at a hundred, and they are just as passionate as the stories they’re watching. So I’m very, very fortunate to have people that support me in that way.
As far as being a scream queen, I’m so grateful that people think I’m deserving of that title. I don’t necessarily feel that yet. It’s funny because Damien, Dave, Elliott, and I were just celebrating the initial success of the Terrifier 3 release, and we were talking about how it feels. Damien put up beautifully in that he said that it just feels like a glimpse or a moment of realization, but it never lingers. It never stays. Like we just go about our day the same way we always have. We don’t really tell ourselves that we are the things that people say that we are. So it is hard to embrace sometimes, and I don’t even know if I’ll ever achieve that status, but if people like to embrace me as that, I am so grateful that they do.
I liked the young actress that plays Gabby in Terrifier 3, Antonella Rose. How was it working with her? You two really felt really lovely and there’s a nice connection between you two on screen.
I love Antonella. It’s funny because we all had our own nicknames for her. Damien called her “Toes” because a lot of her family members call her “Toes” because of An-to-nella. I called her “Nell.” She let us find her own nicknames for her. She was like, “Call me whatever you want.” It helped us have our own unique bond. She is beyond her years in wisdom and in professionalism. But what I loved about her is, even though she was so professional and so on, it on set, when it was time to film after Cut, she was a child again. Like, she didn’t let it dim her light. She truly was able to turn it on and off. She brought so much emotion.
Her mom would always tell me like, “Oh, Antonella, she really feels like you guys are best friends.” I’m like, “We are now, aren’t we? I’m pretty sure we are.” We got along so well. It was, it was immediate. It was an immediate connection, and my best friends growing up were my female cousins. So it wasn’t a far stretch for me to find that in a young character. I learned so much from her and I was so impressed with what she was able to achieve, and I’m so happy that people will finally be able to see her work.
One aspect of Terrifier 3 that’s really fun is Samantha Scaffidi returns, but she’s playing a really freaky villain this time. You actually have an antagonist that is taunting you and can speak to you, unlike Art. So how is it working off of her because there are some really fun interactions?
So I have fallen in love with Sam from the moment I met her, which was my final callback for Terrifier 2. Her presence is just so warm, cool, and feisty, and she’s so intelligent. She just oozes coolness and swagger. I literally love her so much. I just love being around her. She’s a director. She’s a writer. She’s so more than just a talented actor. Being with her, she was so patient, and she really cared about the product. We’re all trying to deliver, and she’s such a thoughtful scene partner. She would constantly ask me if I was comfortable.
There is a scene where we get physical with each other, and I really wanted her to just go for it. She was kind of hesitant, but when I told her like, “Sam, do it,” she did it because she knew that’s what I needed to make it realistic and honest for me. I can’t say enough nice things about Sam, like she is the truest artist through and through. I absolutely love her as a person, as an artist, and as Vicki, I think she absolutely killed it in this role. Again, so excited for people to witness her remarkable work.
Thanks to Lauren LaVera for taking the time to talk about Terrifier 3.
