Cult Horror Classic Leprechaun Is Getting a Reboot From The Saw Team: New Details Released
The 1993 horror film Leprechaun is making a comeback thanks to Lionsgate and horror experts Patrick Melton and Marcus Dustan. The B-Horror dark comedy focused on a rampaging serial-killing Leprechaun who was hunting for his missing pot of gold. The film starring Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston was a box-office hit with a return of $8.5 million but a failure with critics; yet, has achieved the status of a cult classic – especially among horror fans who appreciate the film’s comedic tone and dramatic kills (with Davis’ titular Leprechaun being integrated into one of horror’s greats). The film would garner six sequels of diminishing quality before a 2014 reboot that put the franchise in limbo.
Oren Koules and Miles Koules, of the Saw films, are producing this film with their studio, Koulest Productions, and are keeping major plot details secret for now. Only a few details about the film have been released. However, it promises to be a terrifying new entry into the Leprechaun universe. Considering the previous work in the Saw franchise, one can expect this film to be bloodier and to gross a large return for Lionsgate, as the Saw films have grossed billions for the company.
Oren Koules is Thrilled To Work With Lionsgate Again
Oren Koules relays that, after producing all the Saw films for Lionsgate, he is more than eager to return to a horror franchise at Lionsgate alongside his team. He is especially eager to work with Patrick Melton and Marcus Dustan, whom he worked with previously on Saw V and Saw VI, as well as his son Miles. Dan Heffner and Ketura Kestin also serve as executive producers for the film.
As a full reboot, it is likely the series will take a similar plot approach as the first Leprechaun. In the first film, Jennifer Aniston, in one of her earliest roles, plays Tory Redding, who is hunted by the Leprechaun after a friend accidentally frees the creature, which had been trapped for 10 years by the house’s previous owner. In the six sequels, the Leprechaun hunted whoever messed with his pot of gold. The 2014 reboot, Leprechaun: Origins, was a darker, more classic horror film that dropped the horror-comedy elements of the original and starred Stephanie Bennett and Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl as the Leprechaun. This reboot was met with a more negative reception than the first Leprechaun film.
This marks the second time Lionsgate has attempted to reboot the franchise; in 2024, they had a film in early pre-production with writer Mike Van Waes, director Felipe Vargas, and producers Roy Lee and Miri Yoon. There aren’t any details on when this new Leprechaun film will release, but the original Leprechaun films are all marathoned on St. Patrick’s Day, with many available to stream on Pluto TV and Plex.
