Production has begun on The Wretched Devours, the sequel to 2020’s hit horror The Wretched, from filmmakers Brett and Drew Pierce. The feature has now announced its leads, per a Bloody Disgusting exclusive: Katie Parker (The Fall of the House of Usher) and Sam Huntington (Fanboys) will star in the body horror sequel.

The Pierce brothers return to write, direct, and produce Devours. Chang Tseng and Molle DeBartolo are on producing duties.

“We’re beyond excited to return to the terrifying world of The Wretched as we deepen the mythology of our favourite witch,” the brothers said in a statement. “We’re turning the body horror and grisly frights up to an eleven with this one!”.

In the 2020 film, a teenage boy struggling with his parents’ impending divorce faces off against a thousand-year-old witch, who is inhabiting the skin of their next-door neighbour. The Wretched Devours will see terror fall upon the entire town. Per the synopsis, it follows a small-town deputy as he’s pulled into a string of missing children’s cases, only to discover that the skin-changing witch is back and has been preying on the families of his community for over a century.

Starburst critic Paul Mount said of the film: “The Wretched won’t rewrite the horror rule book, but it’s a taut, punchy little film that plays effectively with half-remembered childhood tales of wicked witches carrying children off into dark, spooky woods. Strong visuals and some decent scares – the witch is a wild, nasty-looking creation – and the film’s commendably retro sensibilities work to create something rather refreshing from the familiar. Worthwhile and certainly not wretched.”