David Howard Thornton, best known for playing Art the Clown in the "Terrifier" films, has joined the cast of "Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon" in a key role. The film is a long-awaited sequel to the 2006 cult mockumentary "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon", and the casting signals momentum for a project that has drawn a notable name from the current wave of horror stars.

Set 20 years after the original, the sequel reunites director Scott Glosserman and writer David J. Stieve with returning stars Nathan Baesel and Angela Goethals, again following killer Leslie Vernon as he navigates a genre reshaped by modern slashers, viral killers and internet-age horror icons. Production is expected to begin in the autumn, following a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $400,000. Paper Street Pictures' Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns produce, with Adam F. Goldberg and Hans Rodionoff among the executive producers.