Posted on: July 16th, 2026

A while back, after almost 20 years of yearning, a sequel to Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was announced.

Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon will see the entire creative team from the cult classic original return.

This includes director Scott Glosserman, co-writer David J. Stevie, and original cast members Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, and Robert Englund.

Last we heard, the film had completed its funding goal of $400,000, and was expected to begin production soon.

Now we have our first official casting announcement, and it’s an exciting one!

Official sources report that Terrifier star David Howard Thornton has joined the sequel in “a key role.”

Undoubtedly, the team wish to keep plot details quiet, but needless to say it’s exciting to have a modern horror icon in the cast.

Of Thornton’s casting, director Scott Glosserman said:
“David is one of the defining faces of the modern slasher era. If Behind the Mask was about deconstructing the classic rules, then a sequel 20 years later has to reckon with what the genre has become. Bringing David into Leslie’s world lets us put the old guard and the new blood in direct conversation, which is exactly where this movie should live.”

Given the hype surrounding this sequel, it’s undeniable more genre names will join the project.

As previously stated, filming is expected to begin soon.

Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon is expected to release sometime in 2027.

We’ll bring any further updates on this sequel as soon as we can!