Leprechaun reimagining to be directed by Felipe Vargas

Lionsgate has given the greenlight to a reimagining of Leprechaun, with Felipe Vargas on board to direct and Roy Lee producing

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Lionsgate has given the greenlight to a new film in the Leprechaun franchise – but it doesn’t sound like this one will see Warwick Davis reprising his iconic role, nor will it be a follow-up to Leprechaun Returns, where Linden Porco played the title character. Instead, the project is being described as a “reimagining”, with Felipe Vargas, director of the award-winning short film Milk Teeth, on board to direct.

Mike Van Waes, who wrote the novel Peeves and has worked on the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, has written the screenplay for the new Leprechaun. Plot details are being kept under wraps. All we know right now is that Lionsgate is aiming to “reimagine the horror title for a new generation of moviegoers“.

Roy Lee, whose producing credits include Barbarian and the recent It films, is producing the new Leprechaun through his company Vertigo Entertainment, alongside the company’s Miri Yoon. Meredith Wieck and Jon Humphrey are overseeing for Lionsgate.

Erin Westerman, president of production for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, provided the following statement: “Thirty years after its debut, this franchise still casts a spell, and we’re thrilled to be bringing it back with a new vision. Roy and Miri are two of our most trusted producers, especially with this genre, and we’re excited by Felipe’s vision for the film as a director. In his hands, this movie should be very scary and a ton of fun.“

The Hollywood Reporter notes that Vargas’s short Milk Teeth told of “a boy in an orphanage who sets of a tooth-separating frenzy amongst his fellow orphans when he finds a creature that trades coins for teeth.” Vargas is currently gearing up to direct his feature debut, the high concept horror film Rosario. Rosario is expected to start filming this month, with locations including Bogotá, Colombia and New York City.

I’m always on board to watch a new Leprechaun movie… I just hope this try at reimagining the franchise will turn out a lot better than the previous reimagining, the nearly unwatchable Leprechaun: Origins.

What do you think of this news? Would you like to see a Leprechaun reimagining? Let us know by leaving a comment below.