A dive into the Leprechaun horror movie franchise for St. Patrick’s Day!
Hey there, Boyo! Leprechaun is hailed as a classic horror film any time of the year. But, did you know just how many sequels, including a prequel, exist? Here we break down all eight, that is right, 8 Leprechaun movies. These are the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick’s day!
If you are looking for something outside of this franchise for your St. Paddy’s viewing, check out our other list Luck of the Irish: Horror Movies to Watch on St. Patrick’s Day! which includes St. Paddy’s themed and Irish-made horror films!
Leprechaun (1993): The one that started them all. This classic stars Jennifer Aniston (Friends, Office Space, Cake), yup, you read that right, Mark Holton (Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, A League Of Their Own), and Warwick Davis (The Star Wars Universe, Willow, Harry Potter).
A small town in South Dakota gets terrorized by a murderous leprechaun looking to reclaim all of his gold! Tory (Aniston) and her group do everything they can to stop the menace.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and available for rental.
Leprechaun 2 (1994): The leprechaun is back and he found his true love. The only problem is, she doesn’t feel the same. So, what do you do when an evil, murderous, and love-sick leprechaun runs after you? You run!
This one was a fun sequel. Warwick Davis reprises his titular role. And that garage scene! You’ll know what I am talking about. Just be careful of who you try to kiss.
This trailer had a 12-year-old me running around for weeks saying, “Kiss me, I’m Irish,” and chasing people like a leprechaun.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and for available for rental.
Leprechaun 3 (1995): This was the first straight-to-video film for the franchise. The ol’ Leprechaun has found himself in Las Vegas on his continuous hunt for his pot of gold. He grants a few wishes this time, while still terrorizing everyone he comes in contact with!
Warwick is back again in the same role.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and available for rental. (The image on Justwatch shows Leprechaun 2 but don’t worry. It’s the right movie.)
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996): What do you do with a leprechaun after 3 movies? Send him into space! Need more? He falls in love with a princess on board a spaceship who seduces him to steal his gold.
This film franchise somehow turned into Gremlins 2: The New Batch. The Leprechaun, still played by Mr. Davis, has costume changes, does impressions, and wields a lightsaber cane. Good times. This is what you get at the end of a franchise, except…
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and available for rental.
Leprechaun 5: In The Hood (2000): Where do you go after space? The hood? Ok, bear with me on this one. A down on his luck pimp, played by Ice-T (Law & Order: SVU, Tank Girl, and is hip hop royalty), finds a magical flute, he is granted his wish to become the biggest rapper of all time. Three disgruntled rival rappers find out and steal the flute, so Mack Daddy (Ice-T) and the Leprechaun (Warwick) must team up to get it back.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and available for rental.
Leprechaun 6: Back 2 Tha Hood (2003): Well, if it didn’t work before, just do it again. I love that it is an almost all-black cast, I just wish that they were not in the hood and mostly gang members. I will however give it up for the strong female lead (Miller)!
Ok, so, a group of friends, in tha hood, go to a psychic who warns them that an evil leprechaun will torment them. We’ve all gotten that reading at some point in our lives, right? Well, she was right. Now Emily and her friends must stop him at all cost. The film stars Tangi Miller (Felicity), Rapper/actor Sticky Fingaz (Onyx, Next Friday, Blade: The Series, and, you guessed it, Warwick Davis (Leprechaun 1-5 and Willow).
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock, and available for rental.
Leprechaun: Origins (2014): This is the first Leprechaun movie sans Warwick Davis. It has former WWE wrestler Dylan “Hornswaggle” Postl as the titular character. He was covered in a full-body suit and mask and barely seen. He also has no lines. As a WWE fan, I was pretty disappointed. I am also not sure what this is an origin of but it is not the leprechaun franchise we all know and love.
Four American friends embark on an “off the beaten path” exploration of a small town in Ireland when they are hunted by a creature that, I guess, is a leprechaun? The first half was fun but the lack of storyline, explanation, and thought, in general, pull the second half way down. To add to the confusion of this movie, the cover image for this film on Peacock is from a completely different movie called Movie 43, which I DO NOT recommend watching.
Watch The Trailer here.
Streaming: Peacock and available for rental.
Leprechaun Returns (2018): This movie acts as a direct sequel to the original 1993 film. Linden Porco plays the Leprechaun in this go-round. In an interview regarding him not returning to the franchise, Warwick stated that becoming a father changed his views and he will not be in any more horror movies until his son is older.
A college girl and her sorority move into her mother’s old house in South Dakota. They do not really explain how they got that exact house. While fixing it up, they unknowingly release the evil leprechaun that had been trapped in a well for decades.
This movie is fun but runs out of steam halfway through. When confronted by an evil leprechaun, the group acts more like they are avoiding a drunk guy at the bar instead of a murderous demon with magic powers. I never really felt a sense of danger.
Watch the trailer here.
Streaming: Fubo, Directv, Syfy, and available for rental.
Bonus Content:
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Looking for more St. Paddy’s horror fun? Check out our other list Luck of the Irish: Horror Movies to Watch on St. Patrick’s Day! which includes St. Paddy’s themed and Irish-made horror films!
Find more general Married to Horror selections by checking out our recommendations, lists and take a peek at our Master Watch List where you can find an array of horror films sorted by title, platform, rating, and more.
