Spiral Director on a Leprechaun Reboot: “There’s Only So Many Times You Can Beg”

Spiral: From the Book of Saw director Darren Lynn Bousman has been saying for years that he wants to develop a new Leprechaun film for Lionsgate, even having previously teased some of the plans he had for such an adventure, though he recently admitted that because his frequent declarations of interest in the project and his passion for a seemingly obscure film has resulted in the studio failing to take him seriously. Despite how much the filmmaker wants to take the reins of the series, it seems like he’s running out of hope that he’ll get to helm a revival of the franchise. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is in theaters now and hits PVOD on June 1st.

“They do not take me seriously about it, I think they think I’m f-cking with them, so much so that I had a friends and family screening the Wednesday before [Spiral] came out and one of the execs walked over to me and said, ‘Are you f-cking with us? Are you serious?’” Bousman shared with ComicBook.com about Lionsgate’s reaction to his passion for Leprechaun. “I was like, ‘How many more times do I have to say it, I started talking about it during Saw II. I was 24 years old, now I’m 42, and I’m still f-cking talking about it. That is the longest-running joke in the world if I’m joking.’ No, I absolutely want to do the Leprechaun franchise, and since I’ve been saying it, they’ve redone it four times without me. You know what, I don’t know what to say at this point, there’s only so many times you can beg.”

Just earlier this month, Bousman pleaded with Lionsgate to give him the franchise while he was promoting Spiral, another Lionsgate property.

“I’m gonna take this chance, because I know Lionsgate is listening in that room over there, give me the f-cking Leprechaun franchise. I mean, seriously, I’ve been asking for 15 years,” Bousman shared. “I’m not even joking you, I just love … my favorite subgenre of horror is fun horror movies, that are just fun and you smile and you high-five in theaters. There are moments of that in Spiral that are fun, with the Forrest Gump [discussion], but the Leprechaun movie, to me, is the epitome of a fun moviegoing experience. It’s ridiculous, it’s over the top, it’s gory, it’s violent, give that to me. What else are you gonna do with it?”

The last film in the Leprechaun franchise was 2018’s Leprechaun Returns, which served as a direct sequel to the original 1993 movie. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is in theaters now and hits PVOD on June 1st.

Do you want Bousman to deliver a new Leprechaun? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!