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The Bizarre Story of How a Kids’ Horror Movie Became ‘Leprechaun’

Director Mark Jones wanted a live-action ‘Scooby-Doo’ vibe, but the studio pushed for more violence and cut several cartoonish scenes.

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Mark Jones’s 1993 cult classic Leprechaun launched a long-running horror franchise that quickly became known for its gruesome, over-the-top kills. However, the original movie’s inspiration was much less dark. “The Lucky Charms commercials had the cute little leprechaun advertising cereal,” Jones explained during a 2014 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I said, ‘We can turn this into something evil.’”

Evil, but child-friendly, that is. In a 2023........

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