Franchise continuation Leprechaun Returns might not have made much of an impact, but was largely enjoyed by those who actually saw it. And its director, Steven Kostanski, has now stated that he would be open for returning to do another one.
Following what’s becoming an increasingly common trend in horror movies, Leprechaun Returns acts as a direct sequel to the original, ignoring the installments released in the interim. It focuses on the daughter of Jennifer Aniston’s character from Leprechaun, who along with her sorority sisters plans to spend the summer renovating a remote house to become self-sufficient. Unfortunately, it borders the well in which the leprechaun was originally trapped, and the mischievous creature is released to once again cause murderous havoc on the unsuspecting humans.
Of returning to direct a follow-up, Kostanski had this to say:
“Well, I mean, the producer who hired me for Leprechaun was the one that hired me for the Day of the Dead [TV series], so I’ve continued that relationship. But as far as follow-up Leprechaun sequels, I haven’t heard anything, but I would honestly be all over doing it. If it happens, I’d love to do it. I had a lot of fun making that movie, and it was a great experience. It gave me more of an appreciation for the Leprechaun movies. I feel we made something that fits into that mythology nicely, and I think there’s a lot of room to continue it. I haven’t heard anything, but if I was asked to do a follow-up, I’d be into it.”
The Leprechaun series is a collection of slasher movies revolving around the titular diminutive faerie from Irish folklore. The plots typically see him emerging to hunt for people who have stolen from his hoard of treasure, gold coins that can grant wishes. Although originally intended as straight horror, series star Warwick Davis saw the inherent absurdity in the concept and injected some humor into his performance, with the comedy becoming more overt as the franchise progressed.
Kostanski, meanwhile, has previously directed the likes of the ultra-low budget sci-fi Manborg and Lovecraftian horror The Void, as well as the upcoming Psycho Goreman, which looks utterly magnificent.
Leprechaun Returns was a lot of fun for what it was, and the prospect of a green-skinned giggling dwarf taking out obnoxious people in inventive ways is one limited only by the creativity of those involved in making it. Kostanski has certainly proven himself to be more than capable of handling such material, so if the franchise is ever revived, the producers could do a lot worse than bringing him back on board.