Leslie Vernon is returning in 2027, and this time David Howard Thornton is joining too.
Leslie Returns
After two decades of waiting, horror fans are finally getting the sequel they have been asking for. Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon is officially moving forward.
The sequel is currently in pre-production, with filming expected to begin in Fall 2026 and a planned release sometime in 2027, where the movie is once again being handled by Paper Street Pictures, with original writer David J. Stieve returning to write the script and Scott Glosserman coming back to direct.
The original Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon arrived in 2006 and quickly became a cult favourite among horror fans, where the film flipped the slasher formula on its head by treating Leslie like an aspiring horror legend, giving a documentary crew behind-the-scenes access as he prepared for his big night of terror.
Now, 20 years later, the sequel will explore what happened after Leslie’s first appearance and what it means for a slasher icon to survive in a completely different horror world.
The genre has changed massively since 2006, as back then, the idea of breaking the fourth wall and commenting on horror clichés felt new and fairly fresh, but today, meta horror, legacy sequels, viral killers, and self-aware storytelling are everywhere. The new movie plans to look at how Leslie fits into this modern landscape.
Director Scott Glosserman explained that simply repeating what made the first film work was never the goal.
“It’s not enough to just be self-referential; we have to dig a lot deeper now, while preserving that commentary about the conventions and archetypes of what we’re exploring.”
The sequel will reportedly look at Leslie’s legacy and whether he actually achieved the fame he always wanted. Was he able to become a legendary figure like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees? Maybe not in the mainstream world, but within the horror community, Leslie Vernon has earned a reputation of his own.
As Glosserman put it:
“Did Leslie become the next Michael Myers? Well, not commercially, but he’s respected by the community in his world, as he is in the real world.”
Another major theme of the sequel will be how much the world itself has changed, as the first movie revolved around a documentary crew following Leslie, but today everyone has a camera in their pocket and moments can become viral instantly.
The new film will explore how social media, internet culture, and modern entertainment have changed the way people view violence, fame, and horror.
Glosserman explained:
“What social media has done, how desensitized we are—these aren’t things we need to comment on directly, but we can comment on them indirectly, because they’re reflected in horror films themselves.”
One of the biggest challenges for the sequel is making sure it feels fresh, because Found footage, phone cameras, and documentary-style storytelling have become common in horror over the last 20 years, so the filmmakers are looking for a new way to tell Leslie’s story.
Glosserman teased that the sequel could be a major departure from the original:
“My biggest challenge as a director is figuring out how to tell this story. That’s something we’re working on that I can’t reveal right now, but I think it might be the biggest departure from the original.”
Fans can expect plenty of familiar faces returning as well. Nathan Baesel will once again play Leslie Vernon, Angela Goethals returns as Taylor Gentry, and horror legend Robert Englund is back as Doc Halloran.
This time around, Doc Halloran will have a much bigger role. While he was an important part of the first movie, the sequel will give him a much stronger presence in Leslie’s story.
Glosserman revealed:
“He will be a more consequential character in this movie, whereas in the first one he was a cameo, albeit an important one. This time, he’s more significant.”
The sequel will also bring in a new generation of horror talent with David Howard Thornton, best known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, joining the cast in a key role.
His addition represents a meeting between two eras of horror – the classic slasher world Leslie came from and the modern wave of brutal, internet-famous killers that dominate today.
Glosserman explained:
“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.”
He added:
“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.”
The sequel has also received huge support from fans, where a crowdfunding campaign launched to help make the film bigger and better, raising more than $400,000.
According to Glosserman, that fan support is a major reason Leslie Vernon is returning.
“For twenty years, people have asked if Leslie would ever come back. Fans kept this movie alive by sharing it, quoting it, introducing it to their friends, and treating it like something worth holding onto. This sequel is happening because of them.”
Glosserman previously explained that the crowdfunding support will allow the team to expand the movie with bigger set pieces, more surprises, and additional cameos.
“We’re making the movie either way, but the more the audience gets involved, the bigger we can make it. Bigger set pieces. More cameos. More surprises. This has always been a fan-driven film, and it still is.”
With the original creative team returning, familiar characters coming back, and new horror icons joining the story, Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon looks set to be more than just a nostalgia sequel.
The film aims to explore where horror has gone over the last 20 years — while finally answering the big question fans have had all along:
What has Leslie Vernon been doing since we last saw him?
Horror fans will find out when Leslie returns in 2027.
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