When you make the kind of numbers that “Terrifier 2” did, it grabs the attention of bigger names. For Leone, one of those names was Sam Raimi. According to a report from Insider, Leone says he’s met with the “Evil Dead” scribe to develop a secretive new project:
“There is an original project I have in development with Ghost House Pictures, which is Sam Raimi’s production company […] So if that happens, that would be amazing. I’m really hoping that that could happen before ‘Terrifier 3,’ or it might happen right after, we’ll see.”
Ghost House has been responsible for releasing Raimi’s “Drag Me to Hell,” in addition to “30 Days of Night” and “The Grudge.” One of Hollywood’s lasting trends is plucking independent filmmakers and giving them a big-budget production as a sort of way to usher them into the big leagues. Last year, Paramount took a gamble on Parker Finn, who had only directed a few shorts, to helm the urban legend chiller “Smile.” In addition to being a pretty great horror movie, it grossed over $216 million against a $17 million budget.
For someone who also built their way through the indie horror scene, it’s really heartening to see Raimi reaching out to a new generation of horror filmmakers. We may not have any idea of what Leone is developing, but given his admiration for practical effects, I wouldn’t count out another bloody spectacle.
“Terrifier 2” is currently streaming on Screambox.