Scott Glosserman confirms Behind the Mask II:The Return of Leslie Vernon is officially happening
Director Scott Glosserman confirmed on 10 April 2026 that Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon is officially moving forward, reuniting the entire original creative team and cast from the 2006 cult meta-slasher, 20 years after the first film premiered at SXSW.
TL;DR
- Director Scott Glosserman confirmed the sequel at a 20th-anniversary screening at Alamo Drafthouse, Los Angeles, on 10 April 2026.
- The full original creative team returns — director, writer, and all three lead cast members, including Robert Englund.
- A Kickstarter has launched to expand the film’s scope; production is happening regardless of fan funding.
- The sequel is expected to arrive in 2027 via Paper Street Pictures, with Adam F. Goldberg as executive producer.
The announcement that horror fans have waited two decades for
The news broke at a special 20th-anniversary screening of the original film, held at Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Los Angeles, where an announcement teaser was unveiled. Variety was first to confirm the story.
Titled Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon, the sequel will follow the further adventures of the now-established serial killer Leslie Vernon.
Glosserman said in a statement: “For 20 years, people have asked if Leslie would ever come back. The truth is, he never really left.”
He continued, crediting the fanbase as the driving force behind the film’s existence — fans kept the movie alive by sharing it, quoting it, introducing it to friends, and treating it like something worth holding onto.
The full original team is back
The sequel reunites Glosserman and writer David J. Stieve with original stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, and Robert Englund, returning as Leslie Vernon, Taylor Gentry, and Doc Halloran, respectively.
For Glosserman, the sequel also marks a personal return to directing after spending the past decade helping other filmmakers connect directly with their audiences through his company GATHR.
He said: “I stepped away from directing for a while to build tools that help filmmakers connect directly with their audiences. Coming back to Leslie now means we get to use those tools with the fans who kept the movie alive for twenty years.”
A Kickstarter campaign — but the film is happening either way
A Kickstarter campaign has launched inviting fans to participate directly in the making of the sequel. The film is already moving forward, but the campaign opens the door for the community that kept Leslie Vernon alive for 20 years to join the journey early — helping shape how ambitious the sequel can become.
Glosserman was direct about what additional funding could mean: “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.”
The filmmakers plan to build their audience through platforms like Substack and Discord, with theatrical distribution organised through Glosserman’s company GATHR — a strategy similar to the one used on Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks.
Paper Street Pictures and a high-profile executive producer
The film is being produced by Paper Street Pictures, the filmmaker-first genre company led by Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns, whose passion for the original film helped keep the possibility of a sequel alive for years.
Glosserman praised the production company directly, saying: “Aaron, Cam, and the entire Paper Street team never stopped believing there was more story to tell with Leslie. Their support and persistence over the years made a huge difference in getting us here.”
Adam F. Goldberg, creator of The Goldbergs, is also joining as executive producer.
Why this sequel matters right now
The original Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was a mockumentary-style meta-slasher that deconstructed the genre’s rules from the inside out. It quietly built a cult following across two decades, passing from horror fan to horror fan without the benefit of a major studio push.
According to Glosserman, the self-referential nature of horror has only grown since the original debuted in 2006 — with films like Scream VI turning meta-awareness into a studio tentpole strategy — making the return of Leslie Vernon feel more timely than ever.
Co-writer David J. Stieve put it plainly, according to Den of Geek: “Twenty years is a huge landmark, especially for the unbelievable fan support we’ve been shown. We have to give the fans something. If we miss this window, what are we doing out here?”
For fans who want to revisit the original ahead of the sequel, the first film is currently available to stream on AMC+, Hoopla, and Prime Video.
For more on long-awaited horror follow-ups, see our coverage of Lights Out 2 getting a new writer, and Jessica Rothe vowing to complete Happy Death Day 3.
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 11 April 2026.
Lewis Calvert Founder & Editor, BriefLedger
Lewis founded BriefLedger and has six years of experience covering film, TV, and entertainment news. He leads the site’s Movies and TV sections and runs the news desk — always with a straight-talking British take.
