Spiral Director Still Wants to Make a Leprechaun Movie

The most recent entry into the Leprechaun franchise came in 2018 with Leprechaun Returns, but the director of multiple entries into the Saw franchise, including the upcoming Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Darren Lynn Bousman used the excuse of it being St. Patrick’s Day to once again make a plea to direct a new entry into the series. While the series itself has earned a cult following for its campy horrors, none of the entries have been received well by critics or at the box office, so it’s unclear when the next entry could be developed, regardless of Bousman’s involvement.

“So, Lionsgate… if Spiral is a success, can we talk about finally letting me have the Leprechaun franchise and trying a little something something with it?” Bousman asked on Twitter. “Just saying?! (For the last ten years). Love you!”

When the official Lionsgate account followed up with, “My p̵e̵o̵p̵l̵e̵ leprechauns will call your p̵e̵o̵p̵l̵e̵ leprechauns,” Bousman then added, “Alright family. Making progress here. This is the first time they’ve acknowledged what needs to happen. #DarrenwantstheLeprechaun”

The original 1993 Leprechaun focused on a family who moves into a new house and unknowingly becomes targeted by a nefarious leprechaun who thinks they have stolen his pot of gold. The film leaned into the ludicrous premise to deliver audiences a horror-comedy which, though largely forgettable in every conceivable way, was memorable for its sheer absurdity. It’s also notable for being the feature-film debut for Jennifer Aniston.

The debut installment earned a sequel that was released in theaters, but the next four sequels all went straight to video. In 2014, the series aimed to reinvent itself with the prequel Leprechaun: Origins, featuring a much more monstrous character that was drastically different from Warwick Davis’ take on the figure. When that entry failed to revive the series, Leprechaun Returns served as a direct sequel to the original, which embraced the hokey spirit of its predecessors while also delivering plenty of gore.

While Leprechaun Returns director Steven Kostanski has expressed interest in returning for another sequel, no official plans for the franchise have been unveiled.

Would you like to see Bousman’s take on the mythology? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!