Ed Gass-Donnelly will direct the sequel to "The Last Exorcism," which kicks off production in February in New Orleans.

Having helmed such films as "This Beautiful City" and "Small Town Murder Songs," Gass-Donnelly will intensify the mayhem and deliver an R-rated sequel to the 2010 PG-13 film. "Hostel" director Eli Roth will once again produce through Arcade Pictures.

The sequel -- with Ashley Bell returning as the possession victim -- is expected to receive a late 2012 release date. It will continue the tale three months after the original film.

"Obviously with the title of the first one, we had not planned on a sequel, but we love the story and subject matter and had what we feel is an inspired idea to continue it," Roth said in a Deadline interview. "As you can see from other recent films, fans around the world are fascinated by this subject matter, and we want to go deeper and darker this time.

"The first film worked great as a PG-13 psychological film, but now we want to go R-rated and show the true horror of what this subject matter offers. The biggest creative challenge will be coming up with the right title!”

Roth is also backed by Strike Entertainment producers Eric Newman, Marc Abraham and Tom Bliss.

“On behalf of the producing team, we are excited to put the next installment of Nell’s story in the capable hands of Ed Gass-Donnelly," Newman said. "His naturalistic style and performance-based filmmaking make him the perfect choice.”

"The Last Exorcism" centered on a preacher seeking to expose the truth behind a disturbed girl supposedly inhabited by a demon. It stared Bell, Patrick Fabian, Iris Bahr, Louis Herthum and Caleb Landry Jones. Daniel Stamm ("A Necessary Death") directed the film, based on a script by "Mail Order Wife" writing duo Huck Botko and Andrew Gurland.