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Cinefantastique: Leprechaun

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Leprechaun

Article by Alan Jones, from Cinefantastique Volume 23 Number 5 (February 1993)

Cinefantastique sells back issues online.

 

Warwick Davis goes from cuddly STAR WARS Ewok to slashing horror gnome.

[Note from Connie: During the filming of Leprechaun there was a lot of indecision about whether the movie would ultimately carry a rating of R or PG-13. In the end they went with the R, but this article was written during a PG-13 phase. Some of the statements made here must be viewed in light of that fact.]

Trimark Pictures expects a huge pot of gold from LEPRECHAUN, based on early test previews which gave the Mark Jones-directed chiller the highest exit poll rating ever in the company's history. Few movies have focused on the legend of the leprechaun. Jones sought to redress the balance five years ago when he first had the idea to expand the Irish myth beyond the cliche of the jigging, merry prankster concept into the realm of macabre, malevolent horror. Trimark Pictures opens the film nationwide in January.

"We were coming out of the HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH calendar date horror cycle," said Jones, "and I wondered why St. Patrick's Day hadn't been tackled. We'd also had elves, gnomes, gremlins, and trolls. It was the Lucky Charms breakfast cereal, with its trademark leprechaun logo, that gave me the idea to combine the two."

A former writer/producer of the cartoon shows RUBIK THE AMAZING CUBE, SCOOBY DOO and SUPERFRIENDS, Jones also scripted episodes of THE A-TEAM, KNIGHTRIDER and SUPERBOY TV series. His work on the latter so impressed producer Ilya Salkind, Jones was asked to co-write the screenplay for SUPERMAN V which goes into production early this year.

"I wrote the script with SUPERBOY story editor Terry Bates," said Jones. "It will probably be retitled SUPERMAN: THE NEW MOVIE. We totally ignore the three sequels. It features the biggest - and best - villain the superhero has ever fought, with a huge surprise at the end concerning Lois Lane. Superman is older in our concept, meaning Christopher Reeve could easily play him again, and it's not set in outer space."

Jones wrote LEPRECHAUN for himself to direct and refused all offers to sell the screenplay outright unless he was attached to the project in that capacity. Said Jones, "I pitched LEPRECHAUN as a kids' horror movie and everyone was very enthusiastic about its potential, but I couldn't get anyone interested in taking a chance on me." Until producer Mark Amin at Trimark figured the opportunity was too good to miss. "They hate first-time directors too, but included me reluctantly in the package after I argued long and hard that it was my vision and my concept and I was the only one who could pull off the horror cartoon approach I envisaged. Our relationship has been a love/hate one ever since."

LEPRECHAUN mixes malicious humor, whimsical horror and wacky retribution as it tells the tale of one of the mythic wee people leaving Ireland for North Dakota to get back the pot of gold he grudgingly gave an American tourist in return for setting him free when accidentally captured. Trapped again in a crate by a four-leaf clover - the one object that holds power over leprechauns - he escapes ten years later full of pent-up anger and lust for his stolen gold to terrorize a farm community. As Jones slyly remarked, "FINIAN'S RAINBOW this ain't!"

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Ken (APRIL FOOL'S DAY) Olandt and Mark (PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE) Holton, the one pre-production headache Jones had was casting the menacing title character. "I wasn't impressed by any of the little American actors we saw," he said. "None of them had the necessary charisma to carry the role. Then Warwick Davis' agent called to say he'd read the script and was very interested. I was amazed the star of WILLOW would even consider such a low-budget enterprise. But when he read for the part, he was perfect. The search was over as far as I was concerned and I insisted Trimark hire him."

Noted Englishman Davis, who also appeared in RETURN OF THE JEDI and EWOKS: THE BATTLE FOR ENDOR, "The fun side of LEPRECHAUN appealed to me. It did cross my mind that a horror picture, as soft as it is, might not be a good business move, the reason I refused to speak swear words. But as I don't want to be forever typecast in children's movies, I saw it as a career progression." More recently, Davis has been seen in the BBC TV series THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and THE SILVER CHAIR and on American TV in ZORRO. And, yes, he keeps hearing the rumors about a new STAR WARS adventure, too, and still hopes George Lucas will keep his promise and cast him somewhere. Said Davis, "I think George does really want to continue the series but is scared it won't be as successful at the box office because times have changed."

Davis noted that the original LEPRECHAUN script didn't feature much in the way of horror. "You never saw him do anything," he said. "But the stuff Trimark added wasn't graphic or gory anyway. There's a death by pogo stick that was fun because it was clamped onto the camera so they could get close-ups of me bouncing towards my victim. Hands are cut off and I melt down at the end, but there's nothing in it I wouldn't let my children see."

Davis was fitted out in a top hat, buckled shoes, and leprechaun prosthetics designed by Gabe Bartalos. Davis said he didn't bother researching Irish folklore or attempting a lilting accent. Laughed Davis, "I did watch DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE on video, but that was all!" Added Jones, "The accent was a point of discussion early on. I figured Warwick's English accent would be foreign enough to get by. I didn't want him sidetracked. I thought it would be easier to let Warwick be himself."

Shot for $1 million over 28 days last February in Los Angeles and at the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, California, Jones said the only difficulties he had directing LEPRECHAUN came from Trimark's interference. "There were five producers on this show who each seemed to want a different movie and tone," said Jones. "It was hard work and bad enough having to film six pages of script a day without being tapped on the shoulder by people insisting I shoot the same scene a different way. They were lucky I could manage to do it just once! When I did give in, another would say, 'Why did you shoot that differently?' It was a no-win situation. Maybe I'm too nice a guy to bother arguing. There are people on the LEPRECHAUN credits I've never even met!"

Jones said he did argue with Trimark over their decision to cut the picture for a PG-13 rating, "The movie isn't as good now," he moaned. "No one could be seen dying in the MPAA butcher job that reduced it to a PG-13."

One of the producers brought in to oversee the production was David F. Price, the director of CHILDREN OF THE CORN II: THE FINAL SACRIFICE. "David came on board two weeks before we started shooting because Trimark was still nervous about my first-time status," said Jones. "They thought I might need a director to advise me in case I got into any trouble. But he had no creative input at all because there wasn't any time for me to ask him anything even if I'd wanted to. If everyone had left me alone, LEPRECHAUN would have been a far more focused picture."

Noted Warwick Davis, "Price directed a few reshoots. Scenes were added to the cop's death. After I've pulled his eye out with my fingernails, he runs into the woods, I follow him and finally break his neck. Mark knew what he was doing and couldn't have been more helpful. It was a fun movie to work on. On big-budget movies people's hearts aren't always in the right place. LEPRECHAUN had no money behind it and we'd often work long hours into the night. Yet the committed team effort by the cast and crew was incredible."