The reason for Leprechaun’s devoted and large cult following, even 27 years after its release, is that the picture, along with its sequels and reboots, embraces absurdity – they live and breathe it. Since the beginning of time, critics have been unable to comprehend or admit this. The title character is an Irish sprite, a creature similar to a gnome or elf.
According to legend, leprechauns are benign creatures, but writer and director Mark Jones has transformed this character into a funny but ruthless opponent. Warwick Davis deserves a lot of credit for his many appearances as the titular Leprechaun, which he has done with grace and ease.
The first picture of 1993, Leprechaun, was a box office smash, grossing about $2.5 million in its first weekend alone. The film depicts an Irish green beast who goes on a frenzy after his gold coins are stolen. The intended victim of this atrocity turns out to be a young damsel in distress, played by Jennifer Aniston, who is now renowned.
St. Patrick’s Day has traditionally been associated with Irish folklore, but since 1993, cinema fans have been watching Leprechaun anthology marathons. In this video, we will enlighten you with some of the most fascinating and least-known facts about this cult classic.
Leprechaun Was Based On A Comic Book
Mark Jones, the writer and director, was inspired to make the film by a number of factors. Only a few people are aware that Trimark Pictures, the film’s production company, issued an 8-page comic book prior to its release. Dan O’Grady is an Irish farmer who follows a rainbow belonging to a leprechaun in the comic.
At the end, he grabs the pot of gold and sells it to a local jeweller. The Leprechaun trails O’Grady and seeks to kill him, burning down his farmhouse but failing to recover his gold. The Leprechaun then goes on a killing spree and kills anyone who he thinks might have his treasure.
O’Grady flees from Ireland and boards a plane to America, although we see the Leprechaun in the plane’s cargo. Despite this, the filmdepicts the story a little differently, reporting that O’Grady captured the Leprechaun totake the gold, rather than following a rainbow and stealing it.
A Cereal Commercial inspired the Director
As was the case with Mark Jones, creative people get inspiration from the most mundane things. Mark Jones came found a Lucky Charms commercial with a cute little leprechaun perhaps on a leisurely evening. That was his “aha!” moment. He had always aspired to be a film director and was working on a script in 1985, hoping to find something he couldn’t screw up.
It seems that making a low-budget horror film about the Irish green monster in the cereal was the way to go. Although leprechauns are thought to be amiable creatures, Jones gave the concept a twist by making the creature an enemy. Jones was also influenced by the 1986 film Critters.
This film, directed by Stephen Herek, also featured small but deadly antagonists who go on a killing spree. Interestingly, Leprechaun was supposed to be a textbook horror film featuring a deadly monster, butWarwick Davis, who played the titular character, suggested that there should be a heightened comic element. Davis pitched the idea that his character’s dialogue should be dark but witty, and Jones agreed.
Leprechaun Was Jennifer Aniston’s Film Debut
Jennifer Aniston made her film debut in the picture Leprechaun before becoming the star she is today, and before she played the gorgeous Rachel Green on the comedy Friends. Jennifer was not a star and had little experience when they were seeking for a female lead, so Trimark was hesitant to hire her.
She’d had minor appearances in films like Mac and Me, where she was a background dancer. Mark Jones, on the other hand, praised her performance in Ferris Beuller and felt that she was the greatest candidate for the part.
Years later, when Jennifer became such a huge star and contributed to the film’s legacy and popularity, everyone wanted to take credit for bringing her onboard. However, Jennifer herself isn’t a fan of the film and hardly ever watches it.
In one interview, she revealed that when she was watching it with a few friends, she was constantly cringing and storming in and out of the room. But she does still appreciate the opportunity she was given. And why not! Like many other household names in Hollywood, Jennifer got her first big break from a low-budget horror film.
Leprechaun’s Release Was Delayed By 2 Years For Promotional Reasons
The picture was finished in 1991, but Trimark was unable to acquire promotional deals for the next two years, therefore it sat on a shelf for the next two years. Initially, they went to fast-food businesses such as Domino’s and Subway, but these behemoths believed that a gruesome monster was inappropriate for their brand.
Trimark then innovated and chose to promote at a more grassroots level. They began contacting individual outlets all over the country, and this was they were able to secure deals with such outlets in more than 25 cities. They also partnered with National Basketball Association and the American Stock Exchange. A leprechaun rang the opening bell in the opening bell at the ASE – the first time that a film character had ever done so.
‘Leprechaun’ Made $9 Million
The picture was panned by critics on both sides. They left no stone unturned in terms of direction and acting, as well as action and humour, and brutally labelled the film a mess. Audiences, on the other hand, were well aware of the situation. The film Leprechaun is one of those that screams about how critics can be wrong.
The advertisements worked, as the picture grossed $2.5 million in its first week. Leprechaun made about $9 million on a budget of less than $1 million and sold over a hundred thousand VHS copies. The film’s later popularity owes a great deal to Aniston’s massive fan base, but Leprechaun also became a cult smash in its own right, spawning five sequels.
The latest installment to the anthology is the 2018 film Leprechaun Returns, which serves as a direct sequel to the 1993 film. Leprechaun has become a cultural icon of sorts, and cable channels like Syfy have made it the norm to broadcast the anthology on St. Patrick’s Day.
Leprechaun 2 Was Almost A Completely Different Movie
A millennia-old leprechaun is the focus of Leprechaun 2. The Leprechaun desired to marry his human slave’s lovely daughter, and when the father assisted his daughter in escaping, the Leprechaun killed him. The Leprechaun, on the other hand, promised to marry a descendant of the girl in 1000 years.
The film then cuts to the current day, where the Irish beast is on the hunt for his beautiful but unwilling heroine in distress, Shevonne Durkin. However, this is far from what Mark Jones wanted. He was one of the producers of Leprechaun 2 and wanted Warwick Davis to play the original Leprechaun’s wife.
She would come to America looking for her husband, but would be equally ferocious and murderous. The other producers did not agree to this plotline, and the film went ahead without Jones’ suggestion.
Marvelous Videos thinks that Jones’ story would have served as a great sequel but sometimes filmmakers don’t want risks, and take a more traditional path. Unsurprisingly, this film didn’t share its predecessor’s success,resulting in Leprechaun 3 being released directly to the video. The sequel’s poor reception was rooted in its continuity errors.
Warwick Davis’s Makeup Took 3 Hours To Apply
Over the course of his career, Warwick Davis has played a variety of important roles. His most well-known roles include the title part in Willow, Professor Flitwick in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and, of course, the recurring title role in the Leprechaun anthology.
All of his jobs necessitate a lot of make-up, but the transformation into the Leprechaun was the most difficult. He’d get up before the sun came up and sit in a chair for hours getting his makeup done, unable to move or fidget. He was very conscious of the effort that went into his makeup, and he didn’t want to give the artists a hard time.
However, sitting on a chair for hours and doing nothing is a task in itself. So, Davis would speak to the makeup artists about random things, everything from family to politics, in order to pass the time. Interestingly, Davis appears out of character in the film’s café scene, without the Leprechaun makeup.
‘The Leprechaun 3’ Production Team Wasn’t Really Allowed To Film In Las Vegas
The little beast is converted into a statue by a mystical medallion in Leprechaun 3; a statue that is presently being sold at a pawn shop in Vegas. The Leprechaun transforms into his true form and attacks when the pawnshop owner removes the medallion. After that, he goes to a casino in search of a mythical coin that fulfils wishes.
Death pursues him wherever he goes. Despite the fact that the film is set in Las Vegas, majority of the filming took place in Los Angeles. However, director Brian Trenchard-Smith did decamp to Sin City itself for a night to film exterior shots.
In an interview, he revealed that the Golden Nugget said to him that he may not shoot outside their premises. Trenchard-Smith simply went to The Golden Nugget, stuck his 14 mm lens on the pavement and had the Leprechaun in the foreground, apparently towering over it.
Warwick Davis Kept The Role Light
Even many horror fans consider the Leprechaun franchise to be a slapstick comedy. They think it’s a worthless, unwatchable picture with a weak story and predictable scares. Others, on the other hand, praise it as a cult classic, praising the evil-looking beast and the bleak energy he exudes at all times.
Warwick Davis is one of the many fans of the Leprachaun series. Davis claimed that he enjoyed portraying the Leprechaun and that his interpretation didn’t have to be a mind-bending journey into the subconscious.
According to the actor, the Leprechaun series consists of films that need to be watched whilst having a beer with friends. You may as well keep your brain in the freezer and enjoy the films for what they are.
Naturally, Davis made sure that he played the characterwith this attitude in mind, and kept the role light. The film series is perfect for drinking games on St. Patrick’s Day; you can take a shot every time the leprechaun kills or says something witty.
Leprechaun Was Shot In Some Iconic and Blasphemous Locations
Leprechaun’s adventure began at Tory’s ranch in North Dakota, and he would travel to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, South Central, and even outer space from there. However, we are not here to talk about geography. The film was shot on the same ranch as the TV shows Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons, both of which focused on family ties, children, and everyday challenges.
In such shows, there was no suggestion of anything supernatural or benevolent lurking in the bushes, waiting to pounce. The irony is in the contrast between these famous works: in the film, the leprechaun breaks the neck of a cop at the bottom of a hill, and in Little House on the Prairie’s opening credits, three children are see running down the same hill.
When you think about it, this is just dark and unsettling. Naturally, Davis, in his memoir Size Matters Not, described the filming as blasphemous for this very reason.
The Wheelchair Scene Was Difficult To Film
There are several memorable scenes in this film, but one of the most well-known is the wheelchair chase scenario in which the Leprechaun pursues Tory. While the Irish beast follows her through hallways, the gorgeous girl in hot pants runs to save her life.
Davis would frequently lose control of the wheelchair he was driving, swaying sideways or crashing into the walls, making this sequence particularly challenging to shoot. Ultimately, Aniston had to run in slow motion so that Davis could keep up with her.
By the end, it turned out to be a perfect scene, combining all the essential ingredients of a good chase. What adds to the beauty of the scene is the energy that Aniston brings. She was deemed to be a great actress and this scene proves it.
The Creators Weren’t Worried About Plot Continuity
The Leprechaun in the original film was 600 years old, but the enemy in Leprechaun 2 is 2000 years old. Fans have speculated that Davis is playing different leprechauns in each instalment due to this and other apparent continuity issues in the series.
Clearly, continuity was not considered, and Trimark creator Mark Amin has confirmed this. Likewise, Director Brian Trenchard-Smith said that people shouldn’t be looking for continuity, and if they did so, they had too much time on their hands.
The sequel naturally gains more from not trying to adhere to continuity of its predecessor, as that way it has far more freedom. The Leprechaun is a being that lives eternally, and because of this immortality, even if he gets killed in one film, he can just come back in the next one.
Leprechaun Vs. Candyman Almost Happened
If you’re still watching this Leprechaun video, we’ll presume you’re a true movie aficionado who knows everything there is to know about another wonderful character: Candyman. Candyman was a 1992 film based on a piece of work by acclaimed writer Clive Barker about the violent ghost of a 19th-century black man who was murdered because he fell in love with the daughter of a wealthy white man.
When the Candyman and Leprechaun movies were released in the 1990s, they both had huge cult followings. But by the new millennium, the popularity of Leprechaun film was declining. And so, after the success of Freddy vs Jason in 2003, there was rumbling of a crossover in which gold hungry green beast would fight against the slasher who knew no limits.
The film almost reached pre-production, but when the script was brought to Tony Todd, he axed it. He reasoned that earlier crossovers of legendary characters, such as the 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, didn’t just fail commercially, but also tarnished the reputation of the characters.