Protracted radio silence on the status of a developing project isn’t usually a good sign, often hinting at bumps in development. Ever since Lionsgate announced in 2023 that it was rebooting its beloved Leprechaun franchise, not much has been heard of the project. Now, new reports reveal that the reboot movie that tapped Felipe Vargas as director has suffered a setback as Vargas has reportedly departed the project. While a director’s reason for bailing on a project is often due to differences with the larger creative team, no reason has been given for Vargas‘s exit.
A consistent disappointment on the critical side of things, the Leprechaun films have been a top property for Lionsgate, thanks to a loyal fanbase. Save for the first two installments in the franchise, the subsequent movies have all been released direct-to-video. Regardless, it’s proven a lucrative venture for Lionsgate, with the physical copies flying off the shelves. The franchise is centered around its titular folklore monster, who sets out on a ruthless, murderous streak in efforts to recover his stolen pot of gold. A total of 8 films currently make up the franchise, with the first six starring Warwick Davis as the malevolent villain.
Vargas Intended To Revive Classic Themes In ‘Leprechaun’ Reboot
Leprechaun had been lying fallow following the release of the 2018 film Leprechaun Returns before Lionsgate sought to invigorate it in 2023 – its second attempt at a reboot following 2014’s Leprechaun: Origins. To guarantee a better success rate, the studio named rising talent, Vargas, who had recently made an impression with his horror short, Milk Teeth, as the visionary to “reinvent” it. Lionsgate expressed confidence in Vargas, saying the reboot, “in his hands,” and “should be very scary and a ton of fun.”
The reboot seemed headed on the right track when, in the lead-up to Saint Patrick’s Day (a famous release date for the Leprechaun films on SyFy), Vargas teased that his vision for the reboot was to mirror the better-received earlier films as closely as possible. “To me, what makes the franchise so special is that it really is limitless,” Vargas said. “It doesn’t need to be grounded. It can just be gory, sexy, crazy. I would love for it to be scary as hell and also hilarious. I think we’re going back to a lot of the roots of Leprechaun in a lot of different ways, which I’m really excited about.”
Vargas‘s perceived understanding of the franchise makes his departure an even more significant setback. While it remains to be seen how Lionsgate will react to this, the franchise’s large cult following somewhat guarantees commitment from the studio. Mike Van Waes is still aboard as writer, and Roy Lee as producer. As for Vargas, his feature directorial debut, Rosario, starring David Dastmalchian and Emeraude Toubia, is due for a theatrical release on May 2.
via Collider