'Leprechaun' Movies in Order
With St. Patrick's Day coming up the bend, it's only fitting to celebrate with some comical Irish folk horror. Luckily, there's a franchise for that. Leprechaun (1993) is the perfect film for holiday horror fun this weekend. And for those feeling the luck of the Irish, there are seven more movies to satisfy those Celtic cravings. Starring Warwick Davis and created by director Mark Jones, the franchise wasn't as cinematically popular as one might hope. After the second film's theatrical release pulled in a discouraging revenue, the rest of the films were released straight to video. But the Leprechaun haunts the dreams of 80s kids and 90s babies everywhere, and horror fans will never forget the evil little green guy.
The Leprechaun horror comedy film series centers around a homicidal leprechaun who seeks gruesome revenge on those who steal his gold. Honestly, he wouldn't be so mean if people just stopped taking his stuff. Going after various thieves and looking for a bride to take him around the world and even to the stars. The films are pretty campy more often than not, but the one theme that persists through all of them is the consequence of greed. Though the films provide audiences with plenty of opportunities for belly-clutching laughter, the violence portrayed is still satisfying for horror fans.
The first six films in the franchise star Warwick Davis as Lubdan Buttowski the leprechaun, but that is the only constant connection. The first three can be watched on their own with the only storyline thread being the base plot. Someone steals a gold coin and the leprechaun goes on a rampage trying to find it, killing almost everyone who crosses his path. The same goes for Leprechaun 4, only this time it takes place in space and involves aliens. The fifth and sixth entries are connected by setting with the titles Leprechaun in the Hood and Leprechaun: Back to tha Hood. These two films can be placed in the black horror genre and, along with Leprechaun 3, carry the anecdote "be careful what you wish for." Eleven years later, Leprechaun: Origins (2014) was produced as an attempt at a reboot of the series with WWE wrestler Hornswoggle replacing Warwick Davis. The original storyline was traded for a cult-like sacrificial plot and a nonverbal primal creature in place of the pun-loving Leprechaun. The latest installment in the franchise, 2018's Leprechaun Returns, serves as a sequel to the very first film. Ready for a St. Patty's Day horror marathon? Here's how to watch all the Leprechaun movies in order, either chronologically or by release date.
Leprechaun Movies in Order of Release Date
Leprechaun - January 8, 1993
Leprechaun 2 - April 8, 1994
Leprechaun 3 - June 27, 1995
Leprechaun 4: In Space - February 1997
Leprechaun in the Hood - March 28, 2000
Leprechaun: Back 2 the Hood - December 30, 2003
Leprechaun: Origins - August 22, 2014
Leprechaun Returns - December 11, 2018
Leprechaun Movies in Chronological Order
Leprechaun (1993)
Leprechaun stars Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston in the first movie of the franchise. It follows Jennifer Aniston as Tory Redding, along with characters Nathan Murphy (Ken Olandt), Alex Murphy (Robert Hy Gorman), and Ozzie Jones (Mark Holton) as they battle an evil leprechaun who wants his gold coins back. Ozzie accidentally swallowed one of the gold coins and let the leprechaun out of his wooden prison, and that's sort of how they got into the whole mess. The leprechaun goes on a killing spree trying to get his gold back. The movie sets the tone for the rest of the films to come, with its comical killings and horror comedy tropes.
Leprechaun Returns (2018)
Leprechaun Returns is a direct sequel to Leprechaun, with disregard to the movies that followed. It takes place 25 years after the first film, set in the same North Dakota town, and instead of legendary Warwick Davis, it stars Linden Porco as the leprechaun. The main character, Lila, played by Taylor Spreitler, is Tony Redding's daughter. She arrives in North Dakota to help spruce up an abandoned house with her sorority sisters. She gets a ride up to the house from Ozzie, who, through a series of small, unfortunate events, rebirths the leprechaun. Of course, the leprechaun wreaks havoc on the sorority sister in search of his lost gold.
Leprechaun 2 (1994)
Leprechaun 2 was released the year after Leprechaun (1993) and takes place in Los Angeles, California. The leprechaun has his eyes set on Bridget Callum as his new bride and kidnaps her. Her boyfriend Cody gets ahold of one of the leprechaun's gold coins, causing the leprechaun to come after him. Cody's focus is on getting Bridget back and defeating the leprechaun while also evading the police who mark him as a suspect in the death of one of the leprechaun's victims. The movie can be watched on its own as a stand-alone film since it has nothing to do with the first one.
Leprechaun 3 (1995)
Central to Leprechaun 3 is one of the leprechaun's lucky gold items, a wishing coin. Whoever has the coin is granted one wish. The coin gets passed around Las Vegas where the leprechaun pursues and kills almost everyone who comes in contact with it. He kills people to their wishes, and inadvertently mixes blood with one of the characters who transform into a leprechaun. Another stand-alone film in the franchise, Leprechaun 3 is both cheesy and gaudy with the glitz and glamour of a Vegas backdrop, but it's still essential for viewing as part of a Leprechaun marathon.
Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)
Leprechaun in the Hood is one of the funnier films in the series. An unsuccessful rap group gets ahold of the leprechaun's golden flute which can hypnotize people. They are pursued by both the leprechaun and the famous music producer who stole the flute from. The movie ends in a parodied music video with the leprechaun rapping.
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood once again follows a group of friends who find the leprechaun's gold and accidentally release him, having to fight him off for the duration of the film while he kills unsuspecting victims. This installment includes a prologue that shares the origins of the leprechaun and his obsession with gold.
Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
Leprechaun: Origins takes a hard left from the rest of the movies and can be watched as either a prequel to all the films or as a stand-alone piece. As a reboot, it completely reimagines the leprechaun and his ambitions into a folk horror movie. The murderous creature in this film is primordial and threatens the small Irish village that keeps his gold from him. In exchange for the gold, the village has been tasked with providing two people a year as sacrifices. This is especially bad news for a group of traveling college kids who spend the rest of their trip fighting for their lives. It's a lot more horror than comedy, but has a B-movie vibe and was produced by WWE Studios.
Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
Leprechaun 4: In Space is where the production gets out of hand. It's the year 2096, which is why it is last in this guide and follows the leprechaun as he is abducted by aliens, marries an alien princess, gets killed multiple times, and possesses someone by manifesting as gonorrhea. It's as if Gwar made a leprechaun movie; it's all about absurdity.
What's Next?
There are rumors of a new Leprechaun in the works, produced by Lionsgate. So far, they have only put a call-out for pitch submissions, looking for writers and directors to take on the project. Nothing yet on where the next Leprechaun movie will take viewers, but chances are it'll be something of a bizarre and riotous ride.
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