A New ‘Leprechaun’ Film is In the Works from ‘The Collector’ Filmmakers!
Lionsgate has announced a new ‘Leprechaun’ movie is in the works from Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton, the minds behind ‘The Collector’!
How’s this for some golden news this morning? Deadline reports that Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan, the filmmakers behind The Collector, are in talks to resurrect the Leprechaun franchise for Lionsgate!
At this moment, there are no plot details.
The original film written/directed by Mark Jones released in 1993 and followed a family who moves into a new home, only to discover a murderous leprechaun (Warwick Davis) has been trapped inside. Accidentally set free, he seeks to slay anyone who has taken his gold. The film marked the first feature film starring role of Jennifer Aniston and spawned a franchise with multiple sequels, a remake, and a requel.
Oren Koules and Miles Koules will produce through their Koulest Productions banner. Dan Heffner and Ketura Kestin will executive produce
Said Oren Koules, “After producing all the Saw films, and twenty-three wonderful years at Lionsgate, I’m thrilled to be working again with the Lionsgate team, Patrick and Marcus, and my son, Miles, on a terrifying new way into the rich world of Leprechaun.”
The outlet notes that this is Lionsgate’s second attempt at bringing the Leprechaun franchise back to life. Felipe Vargas was once attached to direct a script from Mike Van Waes as recently as 2024.
Personally, I think Dunstan and Melton could be a great fit and exactly what the series needs. These are two guys who tend to lean toward insane violence and darker humor. They got their start writing the script for the wild creature feature Feast before penning scripts for Saw 4-7 and Piranha 3DD. The Collector marked Dunstan’s directorial debut. While I adore them, a complaint I’ll often hear regarding the Leprechaun movies is that they aren’t very scary or are downright corny. Melton and Dunstan would likely change course, offering up a more vicious take.
Of course, the biggest question will be who plays the titular fiend. As Robert Englund did with Freddy, Davis made the Leprechaun character entirely his own. Granted, Linden Porco did an admirable job in the 2018 , but it’s difficult to replace such an iconic performance.
