One component of the ongoing horror boom has seen iconic horror villains returning to the big screen for new chapters of terror. One horror villain about to make his return is the Leprechaun in the new movie Leprechaun Returns. The Leprechaun is returning, but franchise star Warwick Davis isn't because the actor's outlook on horror has changed as a parent, as he explained:
You know what we did six Leprechaun films and around Halloween people always watch them and love them. Horror is an interesting medium, I think it's different when you have kids, you look at horror in a slightly different way. Since I finished the Leprechaun films I had kids and I see the world through their eyes and to be in a horror movie right now is probably not quite right, I will wait until my son turns 18 and then I'll do some horror again.
Although he previously starred in six Leprechaun films from 1993 to 2003, becoming a parent changed Warwick Davis, and how his children see things is ever-present in his mind. This changed his thought process on horror, resulting in him deciding to take a break from the genre, at least until his youngest child turns 18.
In his comments to BANG Showbiz, Warwick Davis didn't explicitly say what it was about horror that made him not want to do it until his kids are all adults. After all, his other horror movies are out there. Maybe he doesn't want to be in the mental space those roles require while he is still parenting or perhaps he just doesn't want his kids to see him playing that type of character until they are older.
You certainly can't blame Warwick Davis. Everyone has to parent the best way they see fit and it's not like he hasn't put in his time as the Leprechaun before. Not to mention that, with the return of Star Wars, he's been busy putting in work in a galaxy far, far away.
Warwick Davis' daughter Annabelle is already 21, but his son Harrison is 15. So those of you waiting to see the Leprechaun actor return to the horror genre have at least three more years to go.
In Warwick Davis' absence, the horror villain he brought to life has returned. In 2014 the franchise was rebooted with Leprechaun: Origins, which was less humorous than the original series and starred Dylan 'Hornswoggle' Postl as the Leprechaun. The new film, Leprechaun Returns continues in the franchise's horror-comedy tradition and seems to ignore the 2014 reboot, instead taking place after the original 1993 film, a la the 2018 Halloween.
Leprechaun Returns sees a group of girls unwittingly awaken the Leprechaun when they tear down a cabin to build a new sorority house. It's not a period piece exploring the folklore of Leprechauns as our own Mike Reyes has advocated for, but it does seem to be more in the spirit of the original films. The film from director Steven Kostanski stars actor Linden Porco as the Leprechaun. You can check out the trailer for Leprechaun Returns below.
Leprechaun Returns will be available on Digital HD on December 11. For all of the movies, horror and otherwise, hitting theaters next year, check out our 2019 Release Schedule.
