Exclusives

Lionsgate Plotting the Return of the ‘Leprechaun’ Franchise [Exclusive]

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2022

There have been eight films in the Leprechaun franchise to date, with 2018’s Leprechaun Returns most recently heading back to the original movie’s timeline in the wake of reboot Leprechaun Origins four years prior. What’s next from the franchise, you ask?

Bloody Disgusting’s sources indicate that Lionsgate is actively seeking out pitches for the next Leprechaun movie, so you can expect more from the mischievous horror icon soon.

We’ll report more as soon as we learn it.

On that note, Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw II-IV, Repo: The Genetic Opera, Spiral: From the Book of Saw) has been publicly asking Lionsgate to let him tackle a new installment in the horror-comedy Leprechaun franchise for over ten years now, and he recently teased his vision in a chat with Bloody Disgusting. For starters, he’d definitely bring Warwick Davis back.

“I would make a more direct sequel to the Leprechaun franchise,” Bousman told BD’s Jason Jenkins last year. “I would not reboot it. I don’t want to do that. I would demand that Warwick Davis come back. I wouldn’t do it without him.” Bousman added in that chat, “I would not try to change the tone. I would make it equally as batshit, bonkers crazy. It would be between the first film and Back 2 tha Hood. It would be somewhere in that tonal frame. It got really ridiculous as they went on, but that ridiculousness is what made them fun.”

The Leprechaun franchise kicked off with Mark Jones’s original horror-comedy in 1993, which was followed by five Warwick Davis-starring sequels, a reboot, and later Leprechaun Returns in 2018. Even though Leprechaun Returns was a sequel to the original movie, Linden Porco took over the role of the title character, played by Dylan Postl for Leprechaun Origins.

Lionsgate is also looking to revive The Blair Witch Project franchise.

Comics

‘Chilling Adventures Presents: Truth or Dare’ – One-Shot Comic Pays Tribute to ’90s Teen Horror

Published

3 days ago

July 12, 2024

John Squires

Coming later this month from Archie Comics is the one-shot Chilling Adventures Presents: Truth or Dare, billed as an homage to the late ’90s/early ’00s teen horror wave.

This brand new tale is part of Archie’s “Chilling Adventures Presents” anthology series, dedicated to standalone one-shots with the vibe of Creepshow and Tales from the Crypt.

In Truth or Dare, “When new student Trula Twyst comes to Riverdale, her mysterious and quiet nature doesn’t mix well with the squeaky-clean façade of Riverdale High. Tormented by her past and with a keen interest in Behavioral Psychology, she sets her sights on dismantling the traditional high school hierarchy from within. How? By a simple game of Truth or Dare.”

The Archie Comics team tells Bloody Disgusting this week, “This horror one shot is smart, sexy, and for fans of movies like Escape Room, Saw, and Girl, Interrupted.”

Truth or Dare was written by Ron Robbins, featuring art by Laura Braga. The 32-page, full-color comic will be selling for $3.99, and you’ll be able to grab your copy on July 17.

Writer Ron Robbins previews, “I had a lot of inspiration for this story dancing around my brain – SAW, Mean Girls, Jawbreaker, Escape Room, Game Night, Beverly Hills 90210: S1E13, to name just a few. I was influenced by decades of iconic, unstable, deranged female characters, some of whom weren’t given the gift of compassion and the opportunity for therapy.

“I was excited to write a full story about such a unique and classic Archie character as Trula Twyst,” Robbins continues. “Even more so, I was inspired to write a horror story that didn’t involve anything tied to the supernatural. Instead, the baddies in this story are adolescence, betrayal, trauma – all the human things we only wish were make-believe.”

Artist Laura Braga adds, “To draw the character of Trula and for the atmosphere of the series, I was inspired by many ‘90s-‘00s horror movies with teenage characters, like Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Final Destination. I’m always excited to work on a new Archie Comics project and I’m thrilled to be able to work on a new character and make her come alive with a new design. Trula is an intriguing and mysterious character; I hope you will love her!”

Check out FIVE EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW PAGES below!