Killer Klowns From Outer Space Director Has Enough Ideas for a New Trilogy

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The director of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, Stephen Chiodo, says he has ideas for three new films in the franchise. The Chiodo Brothers' Killer Klowns From Outer Space was released in 1988 and has gained a cult following in the past 30+ years. Grant Cramer and Suzanne Snyder star in the horror movie as Mike Tobacco and Debbie Stone, two residents of Crescent Cove who are forced to fight off aliens who appear as terrifying clowns.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space 2, once called The Return of the Killer Klowns from Outer Space in 3D, has been stuck in development hell for years. Charles, Stephen, and Edward Chiodo have remained optimistic to continue the franchise, with Killer Klowns From Outer Space almost being turned into a TV show at one point and a sequel almost happening at Syfy. Neither ended up happening after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and squashed potential plans for a sequel. 

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Despite the odds of Killer Klowns from Outer Space 2 being made look grim, Chiodo has a lot of ideas if Disney were to ever move forward on the sequel. While speaking on the Slasher Radio Podcast (via MovieWeb), Stephen Chiodo gave a few story details about the potential trilogy he had planned, saying that it would focus on the previous characters dealing with the aftermath of the alien invasion. Chiodo also revealed that when the sequel was in development at Syfy, they were only offering a budget of $2 million, which was the same amount they had for the original in the ‘80s. Chiodo’s comments on Killer Klowns From Outer Space 2 can be read below.

"There was a deal... MGM controls the rights... and they went to SYFY. They did Critters, and you saw what that turned out to be like. But they wanted to do Klowns for like two million [dollars]. And we don't want to do that... we did it for two million back in the '80s. So we didn't want to do it. And even MGM didn't want to do it... they said it was a more valuable property than just signing off for that little money."

"We have this whole long trilogy - something we call a trilogy in four parts because we include the original - a TV series for cable [or] streaming. And it follows the adventures of all the characters as they go through their lives, crushed after the first invasion. It would make a great mini-series. So we're constantly selling that for people who are interested."

With Hollywood reviving multiple nostalgic horror movies like 2018’s Halloween, now seems like the perfect time for a sequel. A lot of horror movies today rely on CGI to shock audiences, while Killer Klowns From Outer Space has been praised for its use of wacky practical effects. Given the Chiodos’ involvement, the sequel would no doubt use practical effects again, which would please long-time fans and add something fresh to the horror genre. Releasing Killer Klowns in Outer Space 2 in theaters would be a risk, especially now with the industry recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, but it could be a hit on streaming. 

Unfortunately, that seems unlikely to happen with Disney in control of the franchise. Disney+ is planning to release 100+ titles a year and Disney+’s Star has been rolled out in a few countries with more mature content, but Killer Klowns From Outer Space 2 seems like too much of a risk for Disney. As Chiodo mentioned in the podcast, Hollywood doesn’t bother with cult films, especially if the original didn’t do well at the box office. If Disney were to green-light a sequel, they would more than likely wait to see how Killer Klowns From Outer Space 2 performs before they started developing Parts 3 and 4. Regardless, Chiodo clearly has plenty of ideas for the Killer Klowns From Outer Space franchise and is keeping hope alive for a sequel.