Leprechaun Revenge: Mark Holton, Linden Porco star in short fan film
Lionsgate is plotting to do something new with the Leprechaun franchise, it’s just not quite clear what it’s going to be. Two years ago, it was announced that Felipe Vargas, director of the horror film Rosario, was on board to direct a Leprechaun reimagining, working from a screenplay by Mike Van Waes, who wrote the novel Peeves and worked on the live-action Lilo & Stitch movie. Vargas was hoping to do something gory, sexy, crazy, and elevated with the property – but earlier this year, it was confirmed that he had stepped away from the reimagining. So now, it looks like everything is up in there. Enter the sibling duo of Michael Leavy and Jason Leavy, who recently made the slasher movie Stream (the brothers wrote and produced the film together, with Michael directing). Longtime fans of the Leprechaun films, the Leavys are hoping to get the chance to direct an official entry in the series – and they’re attempting to catch Lionsgate’s attention with a proof-of-concept short film called Leprechaun Revenge, starring franchise veterans Mark Holton and Linden Porco! You can watch the short in the embed above.
From Fuzz on the Lens Productions in association with JFR Media, Leprechaun Revenge has the following synopsis: After surviving the horrors of a malevolent creature obsessed with his gold, an older and reclusive Ozzie Jones has spent decades trying to suppress the trauma of his encounter with the Leprechaun. Now haunted by hallucinations and living in isolation, his compound is sealed with boarded windows, homemade charms, and arcane relics—his only defense against a nightmare that he is convinced isn’t fully over. Will his defenses be enough when the Leprechaun comes for his revenge?
The short sees Holton reprising the role of Ozzie, the character he played in the original Leprechaun back in 1993 and again in the 2018 sequel Leprechaun Returns. Never mind that Ozzie was killed off and became a ghost in Leprechaun Returns; this short is sort of an alternative to all of that, but does bring back Linden Porco, who replaced Warwick Davis in the role of the Leprechaun for Leprechaun Returns, as the antagonist. Holton and Porco are joined in Leprechaun Revenge by Maren Altman.
Michael Leavy wrote on Facebook, “The Leprechaun franchise holds a special place in my heart—it was the first horror film I ever saw, and it instantly made me want to become a filmmaker. As a lifelong fan, I know this series inside and out, and I wanted to create something I know we all miss. This spinoff is pure passion rooted in what we all love about the films —a love letter to the original, paying homage to the franchise’s unique charm and tone, with our own darker, modern twist of course. So wherever this may lead, I think one thing is clear that we need a new Leprechaun film to fill the giant void in the horror genre.” In another post, he wrote, “We really wanted to pay homage to the original and what the master Mark Jones created, we hoped to not only entertain horror fans but to also showcase how our tone would be if we ever would be lucky enough to somehow be involved- all while still honoring what came before. Keeping it fun with a balanced mix of horror and comedy is essential. We do have some cool ideas to keep the franchise fresh and exciting as well as appealing to a modern audience allowing it to move forward.“
I don’t need a Leprechaun reimagining (that didn’t work at all when they tried it with Leprechaun: Origins in 2014), but I would gladly watch many more sequels in the franchise. The Leavys are passionate about these films and they have horror-making experience (they also have producing credits on the Terrifier films and Screamboat, among others), so why not give them the chance to make a full Leprechaun feature? Sign the deal, Lionsgate!
What did you think of the Leprechaun Revenge short? Would you like to see a full Leprechaun movie from the Leavys? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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