The beloved B-movie is making another return.
There’s nothing more damaging to the national psyche than a stereotype-filled Hollywood version of Irish culture – seriously, just look at how the country reacted to the Wild Mountain Thyme trailer.
However, while some of us are still reeling from Emily Blunt’s accent after all these years, it looks like the powers that be are once again jumping into the pot of gold with another Leprechaun movie.
It turns out that the 1993 comedy-horror starring Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston (in her film debut) is actually Lionsgate’s longest running franchise and an addition to it is already in the works.
The new project, which will be the ninth in the franchise, actually has some impressive names behind it.
Award-winning Milk Teeth director Felipe Vargas will helm the project that has a script by live action Lilo and Stitch writer Mike Van Waes. Roy Lee, who worked on modern horror classics Barbarian and the It, will produce.
“Thirty years after its debut, this franchise still casts a spell, and we’re thrilled to be bringing it back with a new vision,” Erin Westerman, president of production for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, said in a statement.
“Roy and Miri are two of our most trusted producers, especially with this genre, and we’re excited by Felipe’s vision for the film as a director. In his hands, this movie should be very scary and a ton of fun.”
The 1993 original stars Davis as the eponymous Leprechaun, who goes on a killing spree in order to obtain his beloved pot of gold. Far removed from its roots in Irish folklore, the movie was actually inspired by adverts for Lucky Charms, an American cereal which features a leprechaun as its mascot.
Davis played the evil antagonist in six films, however he bowed out for the last two, 2014’s Leprechaun: Origins and 2018’s Leprechaun Returns. The Willow actor isn’t expected to return for the new project.
With the Irish stereotypes well and truly worn out over the eight Leprechaun films, what’s the harm in one more?
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