Leslie Vernon will rise again.

It’s been 20 years since the 2006 slasher mockumentary “Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon” became an indie horror hit, and a long-discussed sequel is officially underway, Variety can confirm. Titled “Behind the Mask II: The Return of Leslie Vernon,” it will follow the further adventures of the then-rising serial killer Leslie Vernon.

Director Scott Glosserman and writer David J. Stieve are returning for the sequel, as well as original stars Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals and Robert Englund.

“For 20 years, people have asked if Leslie would ever come back. The truth is, he never really left,” Glosserman said in a statement. “Fans kept this movie alive by sharing it, quoting it, introducing it to their friends, and treating it like something worth holding onto. This sequel is happening because of them.”

A Kickstarter is also launching to help supplement the scope of the film. While the film is getting made even without fan support, Glosserman said additional funds can help expand it.

“We’re making the movie either way,” Glosserman said. “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.”

Paper Street Pictures, a filmmaker-first genre company led by Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns, is producing the sequel.

“Aaron, Cam, and the entire Paper Street team never stopped believing there was more story to tell with Leslie,” Glosserman said. “Their support and persistence over the years made a huge difference in getting us here. They’ve built a home for bold horror filmmakers, and I couldn’t imagine making this sequel with anyone else.”

Adam F. Goldberg (“The Goldbergs,” “Shelby Oaks”) is also joining as an executive producer.

Watch the trailer for the first “Behind the Mask” film below.

An anonymous Iranian woman has bravely stepped forward on the international stage to describe what’s really happening on the ground in Tehran as President Donald Trump’s two-week ceasefire with Iran tentatively began Tuesday.

In an essay published in The Australian, the anonymous author details nightly explosions, sweeping checkpoints and communications blackouts as a part of Iranian daily life since the beginning of operations launched by the United States and Israel in February.

“In effect, ordinary people have been turned into human shields within a vast militarized landscape,” she wrote. “A pervasive sense of anger, paranoia and exhaustion has taken hold.”

Flagrant public executions of protesters by the thousands by the Iranian regime in January moved residents to cheer on the initial days of attacks by U.S. and Israeli forces as Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.

WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR

“They say they’ve hit the leader’s residence,” the author’s daughter was quoted saying. “All the children were screaming and cheering. … Even our teacher was quietly snapping their fingers and dancing.”

The author described everyday Iranians celebrating the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei that same Saturday, and the streets of Tehran filling with cheers of “death to the dictator.”

“Perhaps for the first time,” the anonymous author recalled, “we allowed ourselves to believe our long-held dream was beginning to take shape.”

RED CROSS SHARES AUDIO OF IRANIAN CIVILIAN EXPLAINING SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN TEHRAN: ‘NO RESPITE’

But soon enough, the reality of day-to-day life under a threatened, crumbling regime and ongoing attacks took a toll. One of the harshest realities those on the ground in Iran face is the internet blackout, effectively ending communications with the outside world and leading to great uncertainty at the hands of the regime.

“So far, none of those close to us have suffered physical harm, but no night is calm,” the Iranian woman wrote. “What weighs most heavily is not only the war itself, but the possibility that it may end leaving behind a regime even more authoritarian, more repressive and more violent.”

According to the author, a stubborn faction of regime supporters remain, blasting propaganda on loudspeakers nightly through the streets of Tehran and reinforcing its authority to those who support the revolution.

TRUMP’S IRAN CEASEFIRE ROCKED WITHIN HOURS AMID REPORTED MISSILE, DRONE ATTACKS

“The streets are now covered with checkpoints,” she wrote. “Under bridges and along main roads, movement is restricted. Long traffic lines form. Young people are stopped, their phones inspected under the pretext of routine checks.”

After the announcement of the ceasefire between U.S. forces and the Iranian regime Tuesday, the author said, most of her country went to sleep that night in a “state of deep anxiety.”

“What weighs most heavily is not only the war itself, but the possibility that it may end up leaving behind a regime even more authoritarian, more repressive, and more violent,” the author notes.

She urged a ceasefire that is not “abandonment,” but peace, destabilizing the Iranian regime.

“A ceasefire that stabilizes the current order, without addressing the demands that have brought Iranians into the streets for years, risks being experienced not as peace, but as abandonment,” the author wrote.

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Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. are scheduled to begin Friday in Pakistan.

“We wait, and we continue, in whatever ways possible, to insist that light will eventually overcome this darkness,” she concluded.

The Australian notes the author remains anonymous for “fear of retribution.”

US President Donald Trump has said allies must find a solution within days to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Any operation would likely involve deploying military vessels and personnel to the region, despite initial reluctance from European allies.

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has informed key member states of Trump’s demands following talks in Washington on Thursday.

Rutte is in the US capital for a three-day visit, which included meetings at the White House with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, was high on the agenda.

Ahead of the visit, Trump reiterated threats to reconsider US participation in NATO, criticising European allies for rejecting his calls to contribute assets to secure the strait, which has been largely closed to international shipping by Iran.

Following the talks, Rutte said Trump was “absolutely disappointed” over the issue.

“It was a very frank, very open discussion, but also a discussion between two good friends,” Rutte said of the private meeting held without media access.

On Thursday, Rutte reportedly contacted European capitals from Washington to relay Trump’s insistence that allies produce a plan to reopen the strait.

A NATO spokesperson confirmed to Euronews: “The Secretary General is in contact with allies about his discussions in Washington. It’s clear that the United States expects concrete commitments and action to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump also criticised allies on social media, saying “none of these people, including our own, very disappointing NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them.”

Last week, more than 40 countries joined a coalition aimed at securing free passage through the strait, a critical shipping route for global energy supplies, once the most intense phase of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran ends.

Governments including the UK, Germany, Finland, Norway, France and Spain had initially said they would not deploy troops or naval forces, arguing they were not responsible for an offensive operation in Iran.

However, Trump has insisted he wants a plan within days, regardless of ongoing instability.

A source close to the discussions told Euronews it would be in the interest of NATO countries to respond positively, or risk wider consequences for collective security.

“What this all means for NATO is effectively up to the nations of NATO,” the source said. “Will they act, and if they do, will they act constructively towards their and the Alliance’s collective security and meet their obligations?”

NATO allies are now holding accelerated discussions on how to reopen the strait in the most practical and efficient way. Sources said Trump has told Rutte a plan must be developed “within days rather than weeks”.

“They are going to have to come up with some form of physical presence in the region,” the source said.

“As we know, this piece of geography is water-based, so this will likely involve some form of naval vessels and personnel to operate them,” they added.

Allies could also potentially rely on intelligence support and demining operations, sources told Euronews.