Warwick Davis' depiction of an enraged leprechaun has become legendary. In the film, the leprechaun believes that his pot of gold has been taken by a family. He sets out to find them, using all of his wits and muscle. Meanwhile, the family is urgently looking for the gold to appease the leprechaun and prevent him from injuring them. Davis' performance is both terrifying and iconic, elevating Leprechaun to the ranks of the finest horror flicks of all time.
Davis added humour into the horror picture Leprechaun.
Leprechaun movie plot:
Dan O'Grady returns to North Dakota after visiting his birthplace Ireland in 1983, where he abducted a leprechaun and stole his pot of gold. After concealing the wealth, O'Grady finds that the evil leprechaun has followed him down and murdered his wife. O'Grady subdues the leprechaun's talents and imprisons him in a four-leaf clover-encased receptacle. He died of a stroke before he could burn him.
Ten years later, J. D. Redding rents the O'Grady farmhouse for the summer with his teenage daughter Tory. The farmhouse is being repainted with the assistance of contract employees Nathan Murphy, his 10-year-old brother Alex, and their dimwitted pal Ozzie Jones. Ozzie hears the leprechaun's cries for assistance while searching the basement and misidentifies him as a little kid. He releases the leprechaun by removing the old four-leaf clover from the carton. The leprechaun reveals to Ozzie that he is an Irish shoemaker who traveled to America in search of his fortune. After failing to persuade the others that he had seen a leprechaun, Ozzie sees a rainbow and pursues it in the hope of coming across a pot of riches. Alex follows him out of concern that Ozzie would harm himself. Before Ozzie, a bag containing 100 gold coins emerges by magic. They hide the gold in an ancient well after Ozzie checks it and unintentionally eats a coin, expecting to heal Ozzie's brain by doing so.
After a pistol is discovered in the residence, Leprechaun is shot many times. They try to leave once it fails, but the leprechaun has destroyed the truck's engine. The gang is terrorized by the Leprechaun until Ozzie confesses that he and Alex discovered the pot of riches. Tory saves the bag from the well and offers it to the leprechaun. They rush to the hospital, certain that the worst is past. Leprechaun examines his fortune and discovers that he is missing the coin Ozzie ate. He confronts them, believing they have duped him, until Ozzie informs them that O'Grady has suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized. The group diverts the leprechaun's attention by tossing filthy shoes at him, and he is forced to shine them as Tory drives away in her jeep. Tory goes to the home to kill the leprechaun.
When they uncover a pistol in the house, they shoot the leprechaun many times. They attempt to leave the property when it doesn't work, but the leprechaun has wrecked the truck's engine. After destroying the truck with the go-kart, the leprechaun terrorizes the group until Ozzie reveals that he and Alex uncovered the pot of money. Tory retrieves the sack from the well and presents it to the leprechaun. They proceed to the hospital, certain that the worst is behind them. As he tallies his treasure, the leprechaun notices that he is missing the final coin that Ozzie ate. He confronts them, certain that they have fooled him, until Ozzie tells them that O'Grady has suffered a stroke and has been admitted to a nursing home. The group diverts the leprechaun's attention by flinging dirty shoes at him, and the leprechaun is forced to shine the shoes while Tory gets into her vehicle and speeds away. Tory travels to the home to learn how to kill the leprechaun.
The leprechaun disguises himself as O'Grady and visits the elderly people in the home. While Tory is fleeing, the leprechaun follows him into an elevator and throws O'Grady's body down the shaft. The farm's late caretaker, O'Grady, forewarns the young woman that the only way to kill the leprechaun is with a four-leaf clover, of which there happens to be a plentiful patch just outside the farm's gates. Tory returns to the farm in search of a four-leafed clover, but the leprechaun assaults her there, forcing Nathan and Ozzie to come to her rescue. When the leprechaun returns to get the remaining gold coin, he is badly injured by Ozzie, who admits eating it. Before the leprechaun can kill Ozzie, Alex takes a four-leaf clover that Tory found, sticks it to a piece of gum, and launches it into the leprechaun's mouth. The leprechaun's skeleton, after tumbling into the well, emerges and demands, "I want my gold." Nathan uses gasoline to set fire to both items after returning the leprechaun to the well. Tory and (click now to view clips) her father are reconciled, she marries Nathan, and the two have a child when the police arrive. While authorities investigate the debris of the well, the leprechaun vows he would not rest until he recovers every penny of his fortune.
How successful was the 1993 film Leprechaun in theaters?
Leprechaun opened in 620 theaters on January 8, 1993, and earned $2,493,020 its first week, $8,556,940 total. Vidmark released it on VHS in April 1993, and it sold over 100,000.
Explanation of the Leprechaun controversy:
In the weeks and months preceding up to the premiere of the movie, Trimark teamed up with several organizations, including the National Basketball Association, the American Stock Exchange, Domino's Pizza, and Subway, to promote the film. The collaboration between Domino's and Subway was especially contentious since many individuals had the perception that the franchisees were being taken advantage of by the companies. Despite this, Leprechaun is still considered a cult classic to this day, which is a testament to the strength of the marketing effort.
Did Leprechaun have any cinematic sequels?
Leprechaun 2 was published the following year, and it shows the Leprechaun heading to Los Angeles in pursuit of a fresh pot of riches. The third installment of the Leprechaun franchise, titled "Leprechaun 3," is set in Las Vegas and follows the Leprechaun as he attempts to get his hands on a mystical coin that would give him three wishes. The fourth picture, Leprechaun 4: In Space, is a bit of a departure from the other films since it takes place onboard a spacecraft and involves the Leprechaun fighting aliens. The fifth and final film in the series, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, has the Leprechaun returning to his origins in inner-city Los Angeles. Despite the generally unfavorable critical reviews, the Leprechaun series has proved to be highly successful, and it remains a cult favourite to this day.
Film trivia: Leprechaun
Several sequences had to be re-shot as the producers requested that the picture be made gorier to appeal to older viewers.
It's well-known that George Lucas had a hand in casting Warwick Davis in Willow. What's less well-known is the reason why. Apparently, Davis was under contract to Lucas, and Lucas had to give permission for him to appear in the movie. As a result, he was given a "special thanks" credit at the end of the film. This little-known fact makes the movie even more fascinating for horror movie fans. It's yet another example of Lucas's influence on popular culture.
At first, the leprechaun was intended to run away and return to Ireland. However, Warwick Davis, the Irish actor cast in the role of the leprechaun, was unable to begin filming because he lacked the proper work visa. Davis required a visa in three days to shoot the last scene, which is a very unlikely occurrence. Davis was able to wrap up shooting on time because to the efforts of Vice President Dan Quayle's staff. For all his hard work, Quayle was given a "special thanks" credit at the film's conclusion.
When Anniston went on to become a TV star, many people rented the picture and it spawned a lengthy series of sequels, much to Warwick Davis's dismay. One of Warwick's alleged favorites, paraphrased
In Leprechaun, Jennifer Aniston makes her feature picture debut.
Leprechaun is a must-see for every aficionado of the horror genre. Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston provide outstanding performances in what is perhaps one of the few horror flicks that manages to be both hilarious and spooky at the same time. In spite of its derivative narrative, the film is entertaining. Look into Leprechaun if you need a good fright. In other words, you won't be let down.