The long-gestated Leprechaun reboot from Lionsgate and WWE Studios has finally become a reality. The new entry — titled Leprechaun: Origins — will be available on Digital HD, Video On Demand and Pay-Per-Vew on August 26, with a subsequent Blu-Ray/DVD release scheduled for September 30.
WWE wrestler Dylan “Hornswoggle” Postl stars as the titular creature (which was originally immortalized by actor Warwick Davis). WWE president Michael Luisi said the reboot would follow a tone that is “a little more traditional horror than the Warwick Davis ones that people remember, trying to find a way to please fans of that genre but at the same time this is really being played for scares.”
Stephanie Bennett (Grave Encounters 2), Andrew Dunbar (Alien Trespass), Melissa Roxburgh (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days) and Brendan Fletcher (Freddy vs Jason) also star in the horror reboot.
The B-movie franchise has been re-imagined by director Zach Lipovsky (winner of Steven Spielberg’s On the Lot reality TV series), with a script by commercials writer Harris Wilkinson.
The plot synopsis from the official press release is as follows:
“Backpacking through the lush Irish countryside, two unsuspecting young couples discover a town’s chilling secret. Ben (Dunbar), Sophie (Bennet), David (Fletcher) and Jeni (Roxburgh) quickly discover the idyllic land is not what it appears to be when the town’s residents offer the hikers an old cabin at the edge of the woods. Soon, the friends will find that one of Ireland’s most famous legends is a terrifying reality.”
The Blu-ray and DVD will be priced at an MSRP of $24.99 and $19.48, respectively. The home-video releases include behind-the-scenes featurettes “Leprechaun: An Icon Reborn” and “Leprechaun: Behind the Blood.”
