CBS Films announced today that it has acquired the American distribution rights to the upcoming horror thriller ‘The Last Exorcism Part II’ from Studiocanal. The sequel to the 2010 critically-acclaimed hit ‘The Last Exorcism’ will be directed by Ed Gass-Donnelly, and was co-written by the helmer and Damien Chazelle. Eli Roth will once again serve as a producer on the second film in the series, along with Marc Abraham, Thomas A. Bliss and Eric Newman of Strike Entertainment.

Continuing where its predecessor left off, ‘The Last Exorcism 2,’ which will be theatrically released on March 1, 2013, follows Nell Sweetzer (played by Ashley Bell), as she’s found alone and terrified in the woods. When she returns to the safety of civilization, Nell realizes that she can’t remember entire portions of the previous months, but knows she’s the only surviving member of her family. As Nell begins the difficult process of starting a new life, the evil force that once possessed her is back with more horrific plans, that means her last exorcism was just the beginning.

CBS Films Executive Vice President of Acquisitions & & Co-Productions Scott Shooman negotiated the deal with Studiocanal Executive Vice President of International Distribution Harold van Lier. Of the deal, van Lier said “we knew that the creative team behind ‘The Last Exorcism Part II’ had delivered a bigger, scarier sequel. CBS Films came to thetable with a clear vision for the film’s release and we feel that we’ve found the perfect partner to take this franchise to the next level.”

Written by: Karen Benardello