Whilst franchise fans eagerly await an update on the upcoming fourth movie, Damien Leone’s Terrifier property has been hit with some serious controversy.

Actress Catherine Corcoran, known for her role of Dawn Emerson in 2016’s Terrifier, has filed a lawsuit against Leone and producer Phil Falcone.

According to Corcoran’s official complaint, Leone and Falcone failed to deliver on a promised financial agreement, as well as distributing explicit material without Corcoran’s consent.

Legal documents claim that Leone and Falcone promised Corcoran 1% of any future Terrifier profits, as well as 1% of the series’ merchandising rights in writing. This was allegedly in exchange for Corcoran working on the film for a lower-than-average fee. Corcoran claims to have never received this cut, despite her iconic death scene featuring on home media covers, and even at the likes of Spirit Halloween and Halloween Horror Nights.

Furthermore, the actress asserts that images of her nude body were obtained and used for publicity purposes without her consent. According to the complaint, Corcoran was required to lay nude for hours, whilst a silicone mould of her body was taken. Following its “painful and incorrect” removal, Corcoran alleges that producer Falcone took multiple still photographs without her consent.

The actress is seeking a share of the multi-million-dollar Terrifier brand, as well as branding Leone and Falcone “toxic,” alleging the pair created a hostile work environment. In a statement, Corcoran’s lawyer said:
“My client’s case represents the all-too-common story of low budget film producers taking advantage of a young actress through fraud, sexual harassment and, ultimately, betrayal.”

Although Leone and Falcone didn’t immediately respond, an attorney for the pair eventually released a statement on their behalf:
“Damien and Phil deny the claims in the complaint and will vigorously defend this lawsuit.”

Since the filing has gone public, several more people have come forward, agreeing with Corcoran’s assertion that Leone created a toxic work environment.

So, how will this affect the future of the Terrifier franchise? As of this writing, Terrifier 4 is still in the scripting process, and a reliable source tells us Leone and Cineverse intend to resolve the matter before production begins.

We’ll watch this situation very closely and report the outcome.