Exclusive: Tim Waggoner on his Novel, Terrifier 2

Welcome back to Action Reloaded! This time, I had the pleasure of catching up once again with horror author Tim Waggoner, who’s back to talk all things Terrifier 2. From adapting Damien Leone’s mega-slasher into a brutal, deeply layered novelization, to exploring Art the Clown’s growing mythology, Tim dives deep into the gore, psychology, and creative process behind one of horror’s most shocking modern franchises. If you thought the movie was intense — wait until you hear what didn’t make it onto the screen.

Jeff:
Welcome back, Tim! It’s great to have you on Action Reloaded again. Last time we spoke, you talked about your work in horror novelizations — how did the opportunity to adapt Terrifier 2 come about?

Tim:
Brad Miska from Bloody Disgusting emailed to tell me their company was going to start releasing their own novelizations, and he asked if I’d be interested in novelizing Terrifier 2. Of course, I said yes!

Jeff:
You’ve novelized some big horror properties (Halloween Kills, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, X, Pearl). Where does Terrifier 2 rank in terms of pure gore and intensity compared to those projects?

Tim:
Terrifier 2 is in an entirely different category in terms of gore and intensity than those other films. Mike Flanagan dubbed the film a “mega-slasher,” and I think that’s a great descriptor for the film, not just because of its length, but because of how far it pushes the limits of extreme content.

Jeff:
Have you watched the Terrifier films, and what are your thoughts on the franchise as a whole?

Tim:
I’ve watched them all! Most of the time when you write a novelization, you only get the script to work with, and you don’t know if it’s the final script or not. But Terrifier 2 had been out for a while before I got the gig to write the novelization, and I’d already seen it a couple of times.

Being able to watch the movie as I wrote the book allowed me to incorporate more elements, such as the actors’ performances, set design, costumes, etc. I even made a couple of references to Art’s appearance in the film All Hallows Eve in my book.

I think the franchise is continually evolving with each film, becoming more character-centered and thematic. Most horror franchises decrease in quality as they go, mostly because they keep trying to recreate the first movie with only slight, cosmetic changes. Damien isn’t afraid to make big changes with each new installment, which makes his franchise stand out.

Jeff:
The movie is notorious for its over-the-top kills — how do you translate that level of carnage into prose without losing the shock factor?

Tim:
I attempted to do it by writing those scenes entirely from the victims’ point of view and staying with them for every moment of their demise. While a slasher movie can be enjoyed like it’s a video game, where the NPCs getting slaughtered means nothing, I think it’s more responsible of horror creators — and makes for better horror — when you treat the victims as if they’re real people undergoing real suffering.

What happens to them is awful, and ultimately quite sad. I’ve had readers tell me this aspect of the novelization worked for them, and it’s good to know my approach landed with some readers.

Jeff:
Fans loved that the book gave us more insight into characters like Victoria — and even snippets from Art’s perspective. Was that something you pitched, or did it naturally evolve as you wrote?

Tim:
I didn’t pitch anything. I just added what I wanted to the book, but I did so in ways that I hoped would deepen the story that already existed instead of changing it.

The good folks at Bloody Disgusting wanted the novel to be 100,000 words long, and even though the script is lengthy, it still would only result in about 50,000 words if I hadn’t added anything. So I got to add a lot!

The only thing they asked me to take out of the book was the last line. I guessed how Art would be resurrected for the next movie — but I guessed wrong! Otherwise, they kept everything that I added to the story.

Jeff:
Were there any kills or scenes you added that you secretly hoped Damien Leone might use in a future film?

Tim:
No, although since the studio owns the rights to the book, he would be free to use any of the elements I added, and it would be cool if he did. When I added bits that expanded the mythology of the film, I sometimes wondered if Damien might use any of that — even in small ways — in future films. I guess I’ll have to wait until Terrifier 4 to find out!

Jeff:
The Clown Café, the Little Pale Girl, the sword… Terrifier 2 hints at a larger mythology. How much freedom did you have in expanding on those ideas?

Tim:
As I said earlier, I was able to add whatever I wanted. I wasn’t explicitly given that freedom, but considering how much expanding I needed to do to reach 100,000 words, I had to add quite a bit of material.

I love to create bizarre mythologies for my original horror/dark fantasy, so it was only natural that I’d add some of that to the book. I tried to hint at explanations only, partially because I think that’s more effective — it keeps the sense of mystery going — but also because I had no idea which direction Damien was going to go with the mythology, and I didn’t want to contradict future films.

One thing I did do, which I’ve never told anyone before, is add a scene that ties the film to the mythology of my original novels. (I’m not going to say which one — readers will have to guess!) I did this to give my fans a fun Easter egg.

Jeff:
Fans are already buzzing about Terrifier 3. Have you been approached — or would you be interested — in penning that novelization as well?

Tim:
I’ve already written it! The movie didn’t come out until the day after I’d finished the first draft. Luckily, I saw the film in the theater and was able to incorporate some of its elements in the book before sending it to the editors.

Damien’s script for Terrifier 3 was just as long as the one for Terrifier 2, but this time, he didn’t incorporate all of the scenes in the final film. I was glad to include them in the book. He toned down some of the violence and gore for the movie, but I restored those scenes to their original intensity.

Once again, I was able to add more to the mythology of Art and Sienna. This time, the only change the editors wanted was for me to add a line at Damien’s request, making it clear that after Terrifier 2, Sienna purposefully buried the sword inside the Terrifier attraction so the police wouldn’t find it.

I don’t know a specific release date for the book yet. Last I heard, they were waiting on Damien to approve the cover. Hopefully, it’ll come out sooner rather than later.

Jeff:
In your opinion, what makes Art the Clown scarier than other modern horror icons like Jigsaw, Ghostface, or Pennywise?

Tim:
Damien Leone has stated that his goal with the Terrifier films was to create a new iconic horror villain, and he definitely succeeded — in no small part thanks to David Howard Thornton’s amazing portrayal of Art.

Damien took the trope of the nightmare clown, combined it with the silence of a slasher, and created a relentless killer who can express himself nonverbally in ways Jason and Michael can’t.

Art has a personal connection with his victims in ways other horror villains don’t. He’s a life-sized monster because he directly interacts with people. He doesn’t hide in the shadows or appear out of nowhere. He might interact innocently before attacking, giving a horrible intimacy to his kills.

The best horror isn’t safe, and David can have the audience laughing one moment and terrified the next. You never know what Art will do — or to what new depths of depravity he’ll sink.

The final element that makes Art so effective is Sienna. A villain isn’t truly a villain until they have a hero to go up against. Darth Vader works because he has Luke, Leia, and Han. Michael had Jamie Lee Curtis, but she wasn’t a fighter the way Sienna is. If Art’s a mega-monster, then Sienna has to be a mega-hero.

I also love the mysterious, surreal nature of Art. I’ve read we’ll learn more about his origin in Terrifier 4, but still in a way that preserves the mystery. Horror villains work best when we don’t know too much about them — they’re more like creatures out of our nightmares.

Jeff:
You’ve said before that a screenplay is about half the length of a full novel. How do you approach filling that extra space while keeping it faithful?

Tim:
I look for elements that the script hints at and then try to expand on those. Like — where did Art get the van he drives in Terrifier 2? What was happening inside Sienna’s mind when she was trapped in the Clown Café dimension? What are some additional ways Art could torment his victims before he kills them?

In the film, we see Jonathan researching the Miles County Clown on the internet. What exact information did he find? What happened when Jonathan went out trick-or-treating with the two mischievous kids next door? I expanded on all these elements and more.

Jeff:
Do you think prose horror can sometimes get under the skin in ways movies can’t — because it leaves more to the imagination?

Tim:
Yes, but the opposite is true as well. It can get under your skin because it can be more detailed. It can proceed more slowly than a movie and provide more insight into the characters’ internal worlds.

Readers can be forced to confront and contend with ideas, concepts, images, and events that pass more quickly in film.

Jeff:
Were there any scenes that were too much, even for you, when writing?

Tim:
Not when I was writing. When I write disturbing scenes, I’m imagining and shaping them, so they don’t feel real to me.

When I first saw Terrifier 2, none of the scenes bothered me especially, but for some reason, when the boys are poking at the dead opossum on the playground, I got queasy — which never happens to me when I watch horror movies. Maybe the scene just looked too real?

Jeff:
If Damien Leone let you write an original Art the Clown story outside the films, what direction would you take him in?

Tim:
Maybe Art Goes to Hell, where Art is trapped in Hell and trying to find his way out. He could be tormented as well as torment others along the way — fighting monsters, demons, and the spirits of his victims seeking vengeance. At one point, he could be trapped in a nightmarish circus. It could be a lot of fun!

Jeff:
Finally, for fans who’ve seen the movie a dozen times, why should they pick up the novelization — what will surprise them most?

Tim:
As I’ve said, half of the story in the book was created by me based on the film, so they’ll get extra scenes of Art and other characters, as well as scenes expanding the mythology.

They’ll get moments from Art’s point of view, and the violence will hopefully be more impactful because it’s written with a deep attachment to the victims’ viewpoints.

Be sure to pick up a copy of Tim’s novel if Terrifier 2 which is available NOW!

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