Oh, Leslie Vernon… Will you ever grace our DVD players again? Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon was one of my favorite releases of 2006 next to Hatchet. Behind The Mask was a true horror comedy where the next great serial killer, Leslie Vernon, invited a camera crew to follow him as he unleashes his wrath on the town of Glen Echo. The film was a great production, and Hell, it even had guest spots from horror legends including Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Kane Hodder (Friday The 13th) and Zelda Rubinstein (Poltergeist). I just figured that it was a one shot film, not a franchise…until last year.
A Kickstarter campaign was launched to help secure $450,000 in funds for the sequel, Before The Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon. According to the page, Anchor Bay and other investors were reluctant to finance the film due to its “hard-to-market” nature. The Kickstarter page contained lots of behind-the-scenes photos, quasi-interview material, and a butt load of prizes you could earn by donating to the project. Prices ranged from tickets to the NY premiere, special thanks in the credit, signed merchandise, the chance to be a production assistant, or for a couple grand you could have had a role in the movie or been an executive producer. Unfortunately, the campaign only raised $183,000 of its $450,000 and was canceled.
Still, the hope of a sequel is still alive, both in fans and the minds of the people behind the scenes of the Leslie Vernon story. Speaking of Leslie Vernon, the Kickstarter page also premiered an exclusive clip of just how Leslie managed to escape death in the previous picture.
So, where does that bring us now? Well, Before The Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon is still going forth…although it’s limping on crutches at this point. A special store was set up for the specific purpose of gaining funds through selling one of a kind merchandise, and whoever runs the official Facebook page puts up status updates semi-frequently; however, there is rarely a production update.
In an attempt to keep the momentum going, it appears that a couple lines of the script may be released every so often. Nothing spoiler-ific or groundbreaking, just enough to keep fans happy and wanting more. Hopefully this new idea from producers is just the beginning and an attempt to relaunch Leslie Vernon will happen again in the near future. Still, the big question still looms over all of our heads – will Before The Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon ever happen?
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/BeforeTheMask
Old Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/609017648/before-the-mask-the-return-of-leslie-vernon
