Leprechaun Will Return Again, Again: The Collector Filmmakers Helming the Horror Classic Revival

From 1993 to 2018, an inordinate number of eight Leprechaun films were released to the public. From the original concept that massively outperformed expectations, the series ran another five outings with Warwick Davis in the green waistcoat and top hat. After 11 years, in 2014, a reboot landed, and another in 2018, but neither stuck.

Now, Lionsgate are officially confirming that they’re giving Leprechaun another go. Alongside the producers of the Saw saga, they look to, once again, subvert the perceptions of the cheeky creature of Irish myth to deliver a new age of horror and, more than likely, a few giggles along the way.

It’s Official: We’re Getting Leprechaun IX

By all accounts, everything about this upcoming Leprechaun movie will feature new faces. As Davis decided to not come back in Leprechaun Returns, it’d be fair to assume that the 56-year-old would rather skip this newest entry, too. Writing the movie will be a couple of well-versed horror filmmakers.

Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton have amassed quite the horror film résumé, having written The Collector, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, as well as the four Saw films from Saw IV through to Saw 3D. Lionsgate must see the rise in interest for horror at the box office and wants seasoned writers of the genre to get them in on the action.

The studio will also be looking to some long-time collaborators to handle the production. Under their Koulest Productions banner, Oren and Miles Koules have been attached as the film’s producers. This will mark yet another collaboration for Oren and Lionsgate, with him having produced all ten films in the Saw saga.

What the story will actually feature is being kept under wraps. They may try to run another origins story, or perhaps a spin-off with the spawn of the original Leprechaun. Alternatively, a reboot could try to retread the original. The best course of action, however, would be to start afresh completely with a unique premise this time.

What Made the Original Leprechaun Work?

You’ll often see now that the original Leprechaun is relevant because it was Jennifer Aniston’s big-screen breakthrough. At the time, of course, this wasn’t the focus. It was a film that subverted what you thought you knew about Irish folklore and the setting in a tight package that hit the mark for horror-comedy fans.

Before, you’d think of the rolling green hills of the Emerald Isle, rainbows leading to gold and mischievous little fairy cobblers. Depictions in entertainment media like rom-coms and even online bingo games are more familiar. Just looking at Clover Rollover Bingo, which can be played with bingo bonus codes, you can see the traditional take.

You’ve got bright green, sun, and lots of lucky symbology to emphasise the cheerier side of Irish folklore. In 1993, Leprechaun took that and turned it on its head. It asked: what lengths would a real leprechaun actually go to in order to keep its gold or get it back? The result, the film shows, can be rather horrifying – if not occasionally comical.

Leprechaun has a certain charm to it, even as the series devolved into more and more out-there entries in space and in “tha hood.” The best thing for this latest, latest reboot to do would be to either embrace the same spirit as the original and ensure that it strikes both the horror and comedy chords, or completely be its own thing.