Warwick Davis's leprechaun performance is legendary. Leprechaun believes a family stole his gold in the film. He hunts them with cunning and power. The family searches for riches to appease the leprechaun and protect him from hurting them. Davis's terrifying performance makes Leprechaun a classic horror flick.
The Leprechaun movie was supposed to be more of a straight horror movie, but Davis added some humor to his role.
Leprechaun movie plot:
Dan O'Grady goes back to his home in North Dakota in 1983 after visiting his birthplace, Ireland, where he kidnapped a leprechaun and stole his pot of gold. After O'Grady buried the treasure, he found out that the bad leprechaun had followed him home and killed his wife. O'Grady uses a four-leaf clover to stop the leprechaun's magic and put him in a box. He had a stroke before he could set him on fire.
Ten years later, J. D. Redding leases the O'Grady farmhouse with daughter Tory. The farmhouse is being repainted by Nathan Murphy, his 10-year-old brother Alex, and their dimwitted buddy Ozzie Jones. While examining the cellar, Ozzie misidentifies the leprechaun as a child. He frees the leprechaun by removing the old clover. Leprechaun tells Ozzie he's an Irish shoemaker who came to America for his money. After failing to convince others he saw a leprechaun, Ozzie spots a rainbow and follows it in search of a pot of gold. Alex follows Ozzie out of worry for him. A bag of 100 gold coins appears before Ozzie. Ozzie examines the riches and swallows a coin, thinking it would cure his brain. They conceal it in an ancient well.
After a pistol is discovered in the residence, Leprechaun is shot many times. They try to leave once it fails, but the leprechaun has destroyed the truck's engine. The gang is terrorized by the Leprechaun until Ozzie confesses that he and Alex discovered the pot of riches. Tory saves the bag from the well and offers it to the leprechaun. They rush to the hospital, certain that the worst is past. Leprechaun examines his fortune and discovers that he is missing the coin Ozzie ate. He confronts them, believing they have duped him, until Ozzie informs them that O'Grady has suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized. The group diverts the leprechaun's attention by tossing filthy shoes at him, and he is forced to shine them as Tory drives away in her jeep. Tory goes to the home to kill the leprechaun.
As soon as they find a gun in the house, the leprechaun is ambushed and shot many times. They attempt to leave the property after it becomes clear that it won't work, but the leprechaun has already wrecked the engine of the vehicle. After crashing the car with the go-kart, the leprechaun causes the group to be in fear until Ozzie reveals to the leprechaun that he and Alex found the treasure chest. Tory is the one who descends into the well and retrieves the bag, which she subsequently presents to the leprechaun. They make their way to the hospital, certain that the worst is behind them. During the process of counting his fortune, the leprechaun learns that he is short one coin since Ozzie ate it. He threatens them since he is under the impression that they have tricked him, but Ozzie stops him by explaining that O'Grady had a stroke and was sent to a nursing home. The group is able to distract the leprechaun's attention when they throw dirty shoes at him. As a result, the leprechaun is compelled to go shine the shoes while Tory gets into her vehicle and drives away. Tory travels to the home in order to get information on how to kill the leprechaun.
The leprechaun pretends as O'Grady in the nursing home. The leprechaun follows Tory down to the elevator and, as the latter flees, throws O'Grady's body down the elevator shaft as Tory escapes. O'Grady informs her that the only way to kill the leprechaun is with a four-leaf clover, which just so happens to grow in a vast area outside the farm, before dying away. Tory goes back to the farmhouse to seek for a clover, but the leprechaun attacks and she is rescued by Nathan and Ozzie. The leprechaun is injured badly while trying to get the final gold coin, which Ozzie admits to having eaten. Alex takes a four-leaf clover that Tory unearthed, connects it to a wad of gum, and shoots it into the leprechaun's mouth, causing him to melt away before he can kill Ozzie. Despite tumbling into the well, the leprechaun's skeleton crawls out and proclaims, "I want my gold." After Nathan drives the leprechaun back into the well, he uses gasoline to light both things. When the police show there, Tory is reunited with her father, marries Nathan, and they have a kid. The leprechaun says he won't stop until he recovers every single piece of his money as the cops explore the well's debris.How did Leprechaun (1993) perform in theaters?
Leprechaun was released in 620 theaters on January 8, 1993, and grossed $2,493,020 in its first week, totaling $8,556,940 in the United States. It was published on VHS by Vidmark in April 1993 and sold over 100,000 copies.
Leprechaun debate explained:
In the weeks and months preceding up to the premiere of the movie, Trimark teamed up with several organizations, including the National Basketball Association, the American Stock Exchange, Domino's Pizza, and Subway, to promote the film. The collaboration between Domino's and Subway was especially contentious since many individuals had the perception that the franchisees were being taken advantage of by the companies. Despite this, Leprechaun is still considered a cult classic to this day, which is a testament to the strength of the marketing effort.
Were there any sequels to Leprechaun?
The next year, Leprechaun 2 came out. In it, the Leprechaun goes to Los Angeles to find a new pot of gold. In Leprechaun 3, which takes place in Las Vegas, the Leprechaun gets his hands on a magical coin that makes his wishes come true. Leprechaun 4: In Space is a bit different from the first three movies because it takes place on a spaceship and has the Leprechaun fighting aliens. In Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, the fifth and final movie in the series, the Leprechaun goes back to his roots in the inner city of Los Angeles. Even though most critics didn't like the Leprechaun movies, the series has been very successful and is still a cult classic.
Leprechaun movie trivia
George Lucas cast Warwick Davis in Willow. Why is less clear. Davis was under contract with Lucas and required permission to appear in the film. As a consequence, he received a "special thanks" credit. This fact makes the picture more appealing to horror fans. This demonstrates Lucas' influence on popular culture.
George Lucas cast Warwick Davis in Willow. Less-known is why. Davis was under contract to Lucas, thus he needed authorization to appear in the film. As a consequence, he received a "special thanks" credit. This fact makes the movie more interesting for horror aficionados. It's another illustration of Lucas's cultural effect.
Originally, the leprechaun was meant to flee back to Ireland. But there was one problem: the Irish actor who was portraying the leprechaun, Warwick Davis, did not have a work visa. In order to shoot the last sequence, Davis needed to secure a visa in only three days - an impossible job under normal circumstances. Fortunately, Vice President Dan Quayle's administration was able to speed up the procedure and Davis was able to complete shooting on time. For his services, Quayle earned a "special thanks" credit at the conclusion of the movie.
Warwick Davis was starting to regret creating (click now to see vid) the picture, but since Anniston's eventual success on TV, many people rented it, and it led to a lengthy series of sequels. It is reported that it was one of Warwick's particular favorites.
Leprechaun was Jennifer Aniston's first picture.
Horror fans should see Leprechaun. It's a rare horror picture that's hilarious and spooky, and Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston provide outstanding performances. Although the premise isn't innovative, the film is nonetheless entertaining. If you want a fright, see Leprechaun. Don't worry.