Leprechaun, the long-running horror-comedy franchise, celebrates its 30th anniversary as all eight films are now available on Hulu. Mark Jones, creator of Leprechaun, shares his surprise at the franchise's success and reveals that a reboot is in the works. Jones reflects on the film's impact on the horror genre, the early career of Jennifer Aniston, and his fondness for directing Leprechaun as his first movie.
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Leprechaun, Hulu has added all eight films to the streaming platform. Lionsgate recently revealed that an official reboot is in the works, which is no surprise given the franchise's long-standing success. The film series centers around a vengeful leprechaun and the unlucky victims who end up on the receiving end of his murderous rampage. Despite its gruesome scenes and dark premise, the subtext and snide one-liners allow the film to fall under the comedy-horror umbrella.
Mark Jones is...
In celebration of the 30th anniversary of Leprechaun, Hulu has added all eight films to the streaming platform. Lionsgate recently revealed that an official reboot is in the works, which is no surprise given the franchise's long-standing success. The film series centers around a vengeful leprechaun and the unlucky victims who end up on the receiving end of his murderous rampage. Despite its gruesome scenes and dark premise, the subtext and snide one-liners allow the film to fall under the comedy-horror umbrella.
Mark Jones is...
- 10/14/2023
- by Rachel Foertsch
- ScreenRant
Leprechaun director Mark Jones reveals there is a director's cut of the horror-comedy, originally intended to be a comedy-horror. The film was initially planned as a kid's horror movie with a comedic twist, similar to live-action Scooby-Doo, but the studio wanted more violence. The biggest difference between the director's version and the theatrical release is the amount of violence, with cute scenes being removed.
During an exclusive chat with ComicBook.com, Leprechaun director Mark Jones discussed his 1993 classic and revealed that there is a director's cut of the horror-comedy.
Leprechaun was directed and written by Jones and starred Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Hy Gorman, Shay Duffin, and John Sanderford. The film follows an evil leprechaun (played by Warwick) who goes on a murderous rampage in order to recover his gold.
While its premise might sound silly, Leprechaun proved to be a hit with audiences and went...
During an exclusive chat with ComicBook.com, Leprechaun director Mark Jones discussed his 1993 classic and revealed that there is a director's cut of the horror-comedy.
Leprechaun was directed and written by Jones and starred Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Hy Gorman, Shay Duffin, and John Sanderford. The film follows an evil leprechaun (played by Warwick) who goes on a murderous rampage in order to recover his gold.
While its premise might sound silly, Leprechaun proved to be a hit with audiences and went...
- 10/4/2023
- by Shari Hirsch
- MovieWeb
St. Patrick’s Day is another fun holiday to celebrate with a few good movies between gulps of green beverages and hunts for that one person who forgot what day it was and will get your full wrath in one hard pinch. I wanted to take a little time to list a few films which will help you rewind after a hard day at work or at the local Irish pub. These are just a few of my favorites and a couple suggestions that give horror fans and family folks an alternative to the usual fare they’re bombarded with every year around this time.
Leprechaun
Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) steals 100 gold coins from a leprechaun (Warwick Davis in a role far from his cuddly one as Wicket the Ewok) while on vacation in Ireland. The leprechaun follows him home, but Dan locks the murderous midget in a crate, held...
Leprechaun
Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) steals 100 gold coins from a leprechaun (Warwick Davis in a role far from his cuddly one as Wicket the Ewok) while on vacation in Ireland. The leprechaun follows him home, but Dan locks the murderous midget in a crate, held...
- 3/17/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Eric Shirey)
- Cinelinx
Jennifer Aniston starred in the original Leprechaun, and now a remake has is spawning for Harris Wilkinson as scribe, reports Deadline. Lionsgate and WWE Films are going ahead with the reboot of the 1993 horror flick with WWE wrestler Hornswaggie set to play the creature. In the Mark Jones-directed-and-written original film, Warwick Davis, known for Willow starring Val Kilmer, and for playing Griphook / Professor Filius Flitwick in Harry Potter, starred as the title character, with other cast including Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Hy Gorman and Shay Duffin. The story told of a sadistic Leprechaun who goes on a killing spree while hunting for his pot of gold.
- 5/31/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Jennifer Aniston starred in the original Leprechaun, and now a remake has is spawning for Harris Wilkinson as scribe, reports Deadline. Lionsgate and WWE Films are going ahead with the reboot of the 1993 horror flick with WWE wrestler Hornswaggie set to play the creature. In the Mark Jones-directed-and-written original film, Warwick Davis, known for Willow starring Val Kilmer, and for playing Griphook / Professor Filius Flitwick in Harry Potter, starred as the title character, with other cast including Ken Olandt, Mark Holton, Robert Hy Gorman and Shay Duffin. The story told of a sadistic Leprechaun who goes on a killing spree while hunting for his pot of gold.
- 5/31/2012
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Lionsgate and WWE Studios are planning on bringing the Leprechaun series back to life.
The original followed an evil, sadistic Leprechaun goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved pot of gold through 6 films.
WWE CEO Vince McMahon wants to give their studios some time to grow under new lead Michael Luisi, who was given the film division in September.
Here are the new leads thoughts on the project:
"We have been looking for ways to continue our relationship with Lionsgate and we saw 'Leprechaun' as the perfect opportunity to take a well-known franchise and put a modern-day spin on it. This is a property that we believe our audience will respond to and we continue to look for ways to surprise and engage them."
The studios are expecting a 2013 release date.
Leprechaun was released January 8th, 1993 and stars Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton,...
The original followed an evil, sadistic Leprechaun goes on a killing rampage in search of his beloved pot of gold through 6 films.
WWE CEO Vince McMahon wants to give their studios some time to grow under new lead Michael Luisi, who was given the film division in September.
Here are the new leads thoughts on the project:
"We have been looking for ways to continue our relationship with Lionsgate and we saw 'Leprechaun' as the perfect opportunity to take a well-known franchise and put a modern-day spin on it. This is a property that we believe our audience will respond to and we continue to look for ways to surprise and engage them."
The studios are expecting a 2013 release date.
Leprechaun was released January 8th, 1993 and stars Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, Ken Olandt, Mark Holton,...
- 3/16/2012
- by MovieWeb
- MovieWeb
By Harris Lentz, III
Shay Duffin was a leading Irish character actor who worked in Hollywood from the late 1970s. He was featured as Dan O’Grady in the 1993 horror filmsLeprechaun (1993), and was Ned Quint in the 1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Sub Rosa.
Duffin was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 26, 1931. He began performing while in his teens, singing in a local dance hall. He moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1960, where he sang with the Irish Players. Duffin also wrote and starred in the one-man play Confessions of an Irish Rebel, about acclaimed Irish poet and drunkard Brendan Behan, in the late 1960s.
He made his film debut in 1977’s The White Buffalo, and was seen in such features as 10 to Midnight (1983), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Precious Find(1996), Titanic (1997), and Beowulf (2007). He was also featured in the tele-film The Other Side of Hell (1978).
Duffin died of complications...
Shay Duffin was a leading Irish character actor who worked in Hollywood from the late 1970s. He was featured as Dan O’Grady in the 1993 horror filmsLeprechaun (1993), and was Ned Quint in the 1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Sub Rosa.
Duffin was born in Dublin, Ireland, on February 26, 1931. He began performing while in his teens, singing in a local dance hall. He moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1960, where he sang with the Irish Players. Duffin also wrote and starred in the one-man play Confessions of an Irish Rebel, about acclaimed Irish poet and drunkard Brendan Behan, in the late 1960s.
He made his film debut in 1977’s The White Buffalo, and was seen in such features as 10 to Midnight (1983), Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Precious Find(1996), Titanic (1997), and Beowulf (2007). He was also featured in the tele-film The Other Side of Hell (1978).
Duffin died of complications...
- 5/20/2010
- by Harris Lentz
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Actor Duffin Dead At 79
Titanic and Seabiscuit actor Shay Duffin has died in Los Angeles, aged 79.
The revered thespian died last week at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from recent heart surgery.
Born in Ireland, Duffin was a regular on stages across America, starring in productions of works by countrymen Brendan Behan and James Joyce.
He also wrote and starred in the show The Importance of Being Irish.
As well as Titanic and Seabiscuit, the actor also appeared in Raging Bull and The Departed.
The revered thespian died last week at UCLA Medical Center after suffering complications from recent heart surgery.
Born in Ireland, Duffin was a regular on stages across America, starring in productions of works by countrymen Brendan Behan and James Joyce.
He also wrote and starred in the show The Importance of Being Irish.
As well as Titanic and Seabiscuit, the actor also appeared in Raging Bull and The Departed.
- 4/29/2010
- WENN
REVIEWS IN REVIEW:
OUT TO SEA
20th Century Fox
Fox's other summer nautical summer release finds those grumpy old men definitely up to speed.
In "Out to Sea", old pros Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau show why they're one of the screen's most enduring comedy teams, elevating what could have been "Love Boat: The Movie" to an amusing romp that ranks as the most satisfying of their recent pairings.
Of course, they get some able assists here from an all-AARP ensemble, including Donald O'Connor, Dyan Cannon, Gloria DeHaven, Elaine Stritch and the late Edward Mulhare, as well as some nimble direction from Martha Coolidge.
Serving as the navigator, Coolidge gives everyone a chance to shine, while adeptly giving just the right weight to both the comedic and heartfelt moments. It's a tricky balancing act that, save for a few rough patches, succeeds admirably (HR 6/30).
Michael Rechtshaffen
HEAD ABOVE WATER
Fine Line
Has there ever been a good movie about someone's comic efforts to dispose of a dead body? Even Hitchcock in "The Trouble With Harry" couldn't pull it off. The latest effort in a bizarre genre, "Head Above Water" makes "Weekend at Bernie"'s look like a masterpiece.
Despite the best efforts of the cast -- Cameron Diaz, Harvey Keitel, Craig Sheffer, Billy Zane, Shay Duffin -- Jim Wilson's attempt at black comedy simply does not come off, with the humor feeling strained and the violence simply repellent.
Diaz, looking luminous, at least manages to invest her role with a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm, while Sheffer and Zane seem at an understandable loss as to how to make their characters remotely believable. (HR 6/26).
Frank Scheck
GABBEH
New Yorker Films
A startlingly beautiful and occasionally moving experience, "Gabbeh" is 40-year-old Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's 13th feature in 15 years. A lyrical and often hypnotic fable with interwoven stories of nomadic life, the New Yorker release -- in Farsi with English subtitles -- will draw strongly from its target audience in select-site engagements.
Makhmalbaf initially set out to make a documentary about a tribe in the remote steppes of southeastern Iran. Combining footage shot on location and material added later, "Gabbeh" is relatively crude by domestic standards and a short 75 minutes, but it's otherwise accessible to Western audiences.
Intent on capturing a vanishing way of life, Makhmalbaf became fascinated by the centuries-old tradition of families creating elaborate carpets, or "gabbehs," that tell stories with a pictorial artistry (HR 6/26).
David Hunter
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were: "Fall" (HR 6/27-29), "Mondo" (6/30) and "The Innocent Sleep" (6/30).
20th Century Fox
Fox's other summer nautical summer release finds those grumpy old men definitely up to speed.
In "Out to Sea", old pros Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau show why they're one of the screen's most enduring comedy teams, elevating what could have been "Love Boat: The Movie" to an amusing romp that ranks as the most satisfying of their recent pairings.
Of course, they get some able assists here from an all-AARP ensemble, including Donald O'Connor, Dyan Cannon, Gloria DeHaven, Elaine Stritch and the late Edward Mulhare, as well as some nimble direction from Martha Coolidge.
Serving as the navigator, Coolidge gives everyone a chance to shine, while adeptly giving just the right weight to both the comedic and heartfelt moments. It's a tricky balancing act that, save for a few rough patches, succeeds admirably (HR 6/30).
Michael Rechtshaffen
HEAD ABOVE WATER
Fine Line
Has there ever been a good movie about someone's comic efforts to dispose of a dead body? Even Hitchcock in "The Trouble With Harry" couldn't pull it off. The latest effort in a bizarre genre, "Head Above Water" makes "Weekend at Bernie"'s look like a masterpiece.
Despite the best efforts of the cast -- Cameron Diaz, Harvey Keitel, Craig Sheffer, Billy Zane, Shay Duffin -- Jim Wilson's attempt at black comedy simply does not come off, with the humor feeling strained and the violence simply repellent.
Diaz, looking luminous, at least manages to invest her role with a certain amount of energy and enthusiasm, while Sheffer and Zane seem at an understandable loss as to how to make their characters remotely believable. (HR 6/26).
Frank Scheck
GABBEH
New Yorker Films
A startlingly beautiful and occasionally moving experience, "Gabbeh" is 40-year-old Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's 13th feature in 15 years. A lyrical and often hypnotic fable with interwoven stories of nomadic life, the New Yorker release -- in Farsi with English subtitles -- will draw strongly from its target audience in select-site engagements.
Makhmalbaf initially set out to make a documentary about a tribe in the remote steppes of southeastern Iran. Combining footage shot on location and material added later, "Gabbeh" is relatively crude by domestic standards and a short 75 minutes, but it's otherwise accessible to Western audiences.
Intent on capturing a vanishing way of life, Makhmalbaf became fascinated by the centuries-old tradition of families creating elaborate carpets, or "gabbehs," that tell stories with a pictorial artistry (HR 6/26).
David Hunter
Other reviews
Also reviewed last week were: "Fall" (HR 6/27-29), "Mondo" (6/30) and "The Innocent Sleep" (6/30).
- 7/1/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Leprechaun'
NEW YORK -- At the end of this rainbow lies a pot of fool's gold.
''Leprechaun'' is neither scary enough to appeal to the horror crowd nor funny enough to be labeled a comedy. It is, however, laughable. No need for Freddy or Chucky to start worrying. Their respective horror thrones are quite safe for now.
Considering the childishness of the story line, it seems surprising that Trimark would opt for an R rating. Young kids are The Only Ones who might not be offended by the lameness of this film, yet the R rating will keep them out. And it's not too likely that mom and dad will be anxious to take them anyway.
A horror movie about a scary leprechaun is not a bad idea, but as executed here it never comes to glorious life. A ton of Irish luck will be needed for this film to scare up any business, though it might do a wee bit better on video.
After a trip to Ireland, Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) returns to his wife in North Dakota, loaded with booze and gold. It seems while Over There he caught a leprechaun and forced the little creature to give him his gold. Those are the rules, after all.
This particular leprechaun (Warwick Davis), however, is overly attached to his gold and stows away in O'Grady's suitcase.
When the wife discovers him, it seems the magical elf is not so tiny nor friendly. After a skirmish, the wife is killed, the husband has a stroke and the leprechaun is imprisoned in a crate.
Cut to 10 years later, and we find J.D. (John Sanderford) and his displaced L.A. daughter Tory (Jennifer Aniston) moving into the same house where the leprechaun has been resting. Can you guess the rest?
Predictably, the 600-year-old lep gets loose and wreaks havoc on dad, Tory and three other potential victims. Though it's an established -- and, for the most part, accepted -- fact that people have to act somewhat stupid in horror films, there are limits.
Let's start with dad shoving his arm all the way up into a tree trying to help what he thinks is a cat. We know it's Lep, but even if it WAS a cat, it would be a pretty dumb move.
Then there's hunk hero Nathan (Ken Olandt), who shoots the lep six times with a shotgun. Naturally, it doesn't kill him, but later when he shoots the little pain again, just once, this time he figures he killed him. Talk about short-term memory.
Mark Holton, who played Pee-wee's rich friend in ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure, '' here supplies the only intentional humor. He plays slightly mentally impaired Ozzie, who has trouble convincing everyone that there is an evil leprechaun about.
His 11-year-old friend Alex (Robert Gorman) promises to use Lep's gold to pay for an operation to make Ozzie smart. Yet Ozzie's about the only one involved with this production who DOESN'T need this operation.
There are several mildly frightening moments, a lot of cobwebs, plus a genuine laugh or two, but mostly there is a lot of running away from the leprechaun, which becomes boring. And worst of all, there aren't even any marshmallow treats.
LEPRECHAUN
Trimark Pictures
Director, writer Mark Jones
Director of photography Levie Isaacks
Editor Christopher Roth
Music composer and conductor Kevin Kiner
Producer Jeffrey B. Mallian
Color
Cast:
Leprechaun Warwick Davis
Tory Jennifer Aniston
Nathan Ken Olandt
Ozzie Mark Holton
Alex Robert Gorman
J.D. John Sanderford
Running time -- 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
''Leprechaun'' is neither scary enough to appeal to the horror crowd nor funny enough to be labeled a comedy. It is, however, laughable. No need for Freddy or Chucky to start worrying. Their respective horror thrones are quite safe for now.
Considering the childishness of the story line, it seems surprising that Trimark would opt for an R rating. Young kids are The Only Ones who might not be offended by the lameness of this film, yet the R rating will keep them out. And it's not too likely that mom and dad will be anxious to take them anyway.
A horror movie about a scary leprechaun is not a bad idea, but as executed here it never comes to glorious life. A ton of Irish luck will be needed for this film to scare up any business, though it might do a wee bit better on video.
After a trip to Ireland, Dan O'Grady (Shay Duffin) returns to his wife in North Dakota, loaded with booze and gold. It seems while Over There he caught a leprechaun and forced the little creature to give him his gold. Those are the rules, after all.
This particular leprechaun (Warwick Davis), however, is overly attached to his gold and stows away in O'Grady's suitcase.
When the wife discovers him, it seems the magical elf is not so tiny nor friendly. After a skirmish, the wife is killed, the husband has a stroke and the leprechaun is imprisoned in a crate.
Cut to 10 years later, and we find J.D. (John Sanderford) and his displaced L.A. daughter Tory (Jennifer Aniston) moving into the same house where the leprechaun has been resting. Can you guess the rest?
Predictably, the 600-year-old lep gets loose and wreaks havoc on dad, Tory and three other potential victims. Though it's an established -- and, for the most part, accepted -- fact that people have to act somewhat stupid in horror films, there are limits.
Let's start with dad shoving his arm all the way up into a tree trying to help what he thinks is a cat. We know it's Lep, but even if it WAS a cat, it would be a pretty dumb move.
Then there's hunk hero Nathan (Ken Olandt), who shoots the lep six times with a shotgun. Naturally, it doesn't kill him, but later when he shoots the little pain again, just once, this time he figures he killed him. Talk about short-term memory.
Mark Holton, who played Pee-wee's rich friend in ''Pee-wee's Big Adventure, '' here supplies the only intentional humor. He plays slightly mentally impaired Ozzie, who has trouble convincing everyone that there is an evil leprechaun about.
His 11-year-old friend Alex (Robert Gorman) promises to use Lep's gold to pay for an operation to make Ozzie smart. Yet Ozzie's about the only one involved with this production who DOESN'T need this operation.
There are several mildly frightening moments, a lot of cobwebs, plus a genuine laugh or two, but mostly there is a lot of running away from the leprechaun, which becomes boring. And worst of all, there aren't even any marshmallow treats.
LEPRECHAUN
Trimark Pictures
Director, writer Mark Jones
Director of photography Levie Isaacks
Editor Christopher Roth
Music composer and conductor Kevin Kiner
Producer Jeffrey B. Mallian
Color
Cast:
Leprechaun Warwick Davis
Tory Jennifer Aniston
Nathan Ken Olandt
Ozzie Mark Holton
Alex Robert Gorman
J.D. John Sanderford
Running time -- 92 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 1/11/1993
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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