David Howard Thornton is bringing his brand of horror mayhem to another slasher universe. The actor best known for playing Art the Clown in the Terrifier franchise has joined the cast of Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon, the long-awaited follow-up to the 2006 cult horror mockumentary.
Thornton will appear in a key role in the sequel, which reunites original director Scott Glosserman and writer David J. Stieve. The production also sees the return of original stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, and Robert Englund.
The addition of Thornton is a fitting choice for a project that aims to bridge the gap between classic slasher tropes and the modern horror landscape. By casting one of the most recognizable faces of the current era, the production is positioning itself to explore how the genre has evolved since the original film debuted two decades ago.
A New Chapter for a Cult Classic
The original Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon deconstructed the slasher sub-genre by following a documentary crew as they shadowed a budding killer planning his reign of terror. The sequel is set twenty years later, picking up in a world where the rules of horror have shifted due to the rise of viral killers and legacy sequels.
Glosserman noted that bringing Thornton into the fold allows the film to put the old guard and the new blood in direct conversation. This thematic approach is intended to reflect the current state of the genre, where internet-age icons and traditional slashers collide.
Production Details
Paper Street Pictures is producing the sequel, with Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns leading the effort alongside Glosserman and Stieve. The project, which successfully raised over $400,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, is scheduled to begin filming this year. For more on the original film, you can visit the official IMDb page.
Source: JoBlo
