Comics
‘Behind the Mask’ Sequel Coming in the Form of Leslie Vernon Comic Book Series
We’ve been waiting years for a follow-up. It’s finally happening. With YOUR help.
Described as a sequel, prequel and remake to 2006’s Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, follow-up film Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon has been in the works for many years now. David Stieve, the first film’s writer, penned a script quite a while ago, but efforts to fan-fund the movie never managed to reach the goals necessary to make it happen.
We hadn’t heard a peep about Vernon’s return until earlier this year, when it was announced that SOMETHING was happening soon. And we now know what that something is.
At SXSW over the weekend, where Behind the Mask was being screened for its 10th anniversary, the announcement was made that Leslie Vernon will kill again in the 8-issue comic book series Before the Mask: The Return of Leslie Vernon. Essentially, it’ll be Stieve’s “spreemake” script in comic book form, and the hope is that the comic will eventually pave way for an actual film.
You’ve been dying to know what happened to Leslie Vernon after you saw him pop back up in the morgue during the end credits of Behind the Mask and here’s your chance! The screenplay for our sequel, Before the Mask: the Return of Leslie Vernon is being transposed into a comic series and we are ready to unleash it on you, our fans!
Now here’s the part where you come into play. An Indiegogo campaign has just been launched in an effort to fund the first three issues of the Before the Mask comic series, and it allows you to pre-order those first three issues. They’re expected to be ready to ship this coming June.
Head over to the Before the Mask Indiegogo to donate and learn more!
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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