Witching Season Films, a Utah-based Halloween & horror production company, has released the first teaser-trailer and screenshots for its second feature film, He Never Left.

Written and directed by James Morris, He Never Left tells the story of Gabriel, a fugitive on the run from the U.S. marshals. With help from his girlfriend, Carly, Gabriel takes refuge in an old motel. But after hearing strange noises coming from an adjoining room, the two inadvertently become targets of the notorious “Pale Face” killer, whose legend has haunted the local community for decades.

The film stars veteran actor Colin Cunningham (Falling Skies, Stargate SG1, Preacher), who met Morris at the Horrorfest Film Festival in the fall of 2020. After reading an early draft of the screenplay, Cunningham worked closely with Morris and Witching Season Films Founder Michael Ballif as they prepared for production, which began in October 2021 and wrapped in June 2022.

He Never Left (2024) — Teaser Trailer

The film also stars Jessica Staples, David E. McMahon, Sean Hunter, James Morris, Charla Bocchicchio, and features an appearance by America’s Got Talent runner-up Mary Ellen Wolfe of “Duo Transcend” in her feature film-acting debut.

Inspired by horror classics like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, slasher films like The Strangers, and fueled by real experiences from Morris’ career as a police officer, He Never Left embraces an atmospheric Halloween-horror aesthetic while putting a new, visceral spin on a classic genre. With post-production well underway, Witching Season Films hopes to have the project ready for a 2023 festival run and release.