I can still remember the moment nearly ten years ago when I first laid eyes on Boondock Saints hidden along the new release wall at Blockbuster. Usually when you only see a single copy of a new movie available for rent, the likelihood of not wasting your money is slim at best. But isn’t that how most cult classics get their start? That single leap of faith quickly became my favorite movie of all time. Now most people say they can’t choose just one favorite movie. Not me. In fact, it’s the one movie I can recommend to anyone knowing that they will become a follower. But come October 30th, the number one spot on my list may have some competition…from its long awaited sequel, Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day.

Despite a direct-to-video release, fans have boosted sales of Boondock Saints to more than $100 million over the years, thus securing its place as an underground cult classic.  Rumors of a sequel to director Troy Duffy’s masterpiece about two Irish Catholic brothers on a mission from God to rid the world of evil (starting with the Boston Italian mob, of course) have been floating around the Internet since 2005. Yet, with word of financial and legal issues surrounding the release of a sequel, some die-hard fans began to fear the worst.

The day many fans have been waiting for was finally confirmed at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego where the cast and director sat with media and fans to announce the arrival of the sequel and to premiere its trailer. Even despite premiering the new trailer simultaneously as the one for the upcoming Iron Man 2, the Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day panel drew a full crowd.

During the panel, director Troy Duffy spoke on the power of fan-driven movies stating, in pure Duffy fashion, that the support the movie had received “put a gun to the studios head and forced them to do a sequel.” Video footage of this year’s San Diego Comic-Con panels are a must-see for any fan as the cast share anecdotes and stories from both films. (For female fans like myself, Duffy jokes at some great deleted shower scenes of Norman Reedus that will hopefully make it onto the DVD release.)

After viewing the trailer, it’s evident that though some aspects have undoubtedly changed in the decade since the first movie; the spirit and artistic cinematography have not changed. Set eight years after the MacManus brothers’ vigilante spree in downtown Boston, the fraternal twins Connor and Murphy (Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus) have been leading quiet lives far from their past on a sheep farm in rural Ireland with their father (Billy Connolly).  Their peace is shattered when they receive word that they have been framed by the mob for the murder of a Catholic priest in Boston. The boys must return to the States to once again clear their name and punish those that framed them.

The entire cast from the first movie, with the exception of William Defoe, will return for the sequel, including Ron Jeremy and David della Rocco both appearing in dream sequences. Duffy noted that in the case of Rocco, his character’s spirit and soul will appear to guide the brothers much as he tried to do in the first film. Joining the tight-knit cast will be Clifton Collins Jr. as Romeo, the brothers’ new partner in crime, and Julie Benz as Eunice Bloom, a protégé of Dafoe’s FBI agent Paul Smecker, who is in hot pursuit of the wanted brothers. The sequel will also mark the return of the Yakavetta crime family, though leadership has changed hands to film veteran Judd Nelson as Pappa Joe’s son, Concezio Yakavetta.

Along with the release of the movie, 12 Gauge Comics also plans to release a graphic novel prequel based on Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day including the story of Il Duce’s past history as a killer up and into the present day. Written by Duffy himself, the comic promises to feature the same tone and style as the movies in order to flesh out the mystery surrounding the MacManus family’s thirst for justice. On the 12 Gauge Comics website, co-writer Jason Love states that “it’s going to be in canon, and feel, look, and be a natural extension of the films. Anybody who loves the films is going to love what we’re going for in the comics.”

Look for the movie to hit theaters October 30th, 2009 and the comic to be released around the same time. My only problem is whether to watch the movie on opening night or truly celebrate its release by watching it on All Saints Day, November 1st. Most likely both.