While Robert Rodriguez’ Grindhouse-spawned, blood-splattered exploit-o-thon Machete didn’t quite deliver on the satisfaction front, it did well enough given its low budget to activate plans for the promised sequel, Machete Kills. Now Rodriguez has announced that it’ll start shooting in April.

“The fan response to the Machete character has been fanatical since his first appearance,” Rodriguez said in a statement scooped up by Deadline’s eager news cone. “Machete is truly a super hero and Machete Kills will be bigger and more ambitious than the first time.”

This time around, the script is by Kyle Ward, with some development polishing by Rodriguez, and brother Marcel Rodriguez. The plot will find Machete (Danny Trejo) recruited by the US government to track down a crazed cartel leader in Mexico who is hatching plans with an eccentric billionaire arms dealer to create global anarchy via a space-based weapon. So, just an ordinary day at the office for the knife-wielding former Federale, then…

Trejo is apparently in talks to return, though given his close working relationship with Rodriguez and the fact that Machete is his signature character, we doubt there’ll be much negotiating before a deal is signed. And anyone who survived the first film is likely to get invited back.

There’s no word yet on whether Rodriguez will tackle this one alone, or whether he’ll recruit a co-director as he did with Ethan Maniquis on the original.

Insidious director James Wan has locked down the final two core cast members for his new haunted house horror, now known as The Warren Files. And he’s hired two young actresses who have roles in what will likely be the biggest films of the year – Mackenzie Foy and Joey King.

The Warren Files is based on the real-life experiences of paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, who reached out to try to help the Perron family after they claimed they were being haunted in their Rhode Island farmhouse.

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga have signed on to play the Warrens, and Lilli Taylor and Ron Livingston will be the Perrons. Now Foy and King will play the daughters of the haunted family.

Foy already has some experience with horror – at least, the sparkly, tween-friendly type, as she scored a big break when she was cast to play Edward and Bella’s hybrid spawn Renesmee Cullen in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. King, meanwhile, had a memorable supporting part in Crazy, Stupid, Love and will crop up in The Dark Knight Rises. We’re guessing they’ll show up to the Warren set demanding massive trailers and ice cream for every meal.

Wan is set to start shooting the film later this month in North Carolina.