Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) is a beloved cult horror film that celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. With that great milestone came the news of a long-awaited sequel, Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon, which begins shooting this Fall. After the original debuted at SXSW in '06, word of mouth spread like wildfire and a new horror icon was born. Genre favorites Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Zelda Rubenstein (Poltergeist) rounded out the cast as well as the late Scott Wilson (In Cold Blood), who gave a great performance as Leslie Vernon's mentor "Eugene". A direct sequel was originally planned, but unfortunately didn't pan out due to financial restraints that ultimately did not provide an adequate budget for the project. For many years, a sequel had been teased, rumored and gossiped, but now it can officially be yelled from the rooftops - LESLIE VERNON IS BACK! At a sold-out screening in LA on April 9th, "Vernonites" flocked to see the film on the big screen to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. There was also a Cast and Crew Q+A featuring writer David J. Stievie, director Scott Glosserman, actors Robert Englund, Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals and many more in attendance! At the end of the discussion, a surprise video played to the crowd, officially announcing the brand new sequel as a locked production. They then talked a bit about the Kickstarter campaign and how they hoped to secure as much additional financial backing as they can, but how they would only be able to get there with help from the fans. With a launch date on April 22nd a goal set for $20,000, there was a little time to spread the word and build momentum. When the campaign officially began, they raised the goal in 9 minutes. In a few short weeks, they have far surpassed all expectations, with over $320,000 raised and a few days left in the fundraiser. Not only will Robert Englund be returning, but also the rest of the core cast and crew will be as well including Angela Goethals, who you may recognize as "Linnie McCallister" from Home Alone (1990). There is also rumored to be some new cameos from other genre-favorite actors as well, which will be announced soon. Writer David J. Stievie is back with another phenomenal script and is joining forces once again with director Scott Glosserman. If you're able to support the project in any way or would like to pick up any Leslie Vernon merchandise, head to leslievernonreturns.com. There you will be connected directly to the campaign and can check out the vast array of perks that are in store for you. In the spirit of championing horror, we must band together to get projects like this off the ground and in movie theaters. Self distribution is becoming more commonplace in the industry and the fans help make it happen. Be sure to follow the Cast and Crew on social media to follow their journey as they head back to Glen Echo! This episode was co-presented by Jeremy Morehead of Epic Film Guys. Check out his show and and all the incredible review episodes they've done on your favorite horror movies! #BehindTheMaskTheRiseofLeslieVernon #BehindtheMaskII #TheReturnofLeslieVernon #GlenEcho #RobertEnglund #FreddyKrueger #PaperStreet #Kickstarter
