No One Asked for This: Lionsgate Rebooting ‘Leprechaun’
With next week's release of 'The Hunger Games' and all the positive buzz on the web from critics, Lionsgate seems poised to become a studio we can take more seriously... But then they went and did this.
Empire reports that Lionsgate is set to reboot the 'Leprechaun' series. The horror franchise that starred Warwick Davis as the titular leprechaun is a cult treasure with 5 sequels, including entries where the leprechaun visits space and "tha hood." If you didn't have cable and found yourself with nothing to watch after episodes of 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' on a Saturday night, you most likely saw at least one or two 'Leprechaun' films.
The reboot is part of a two film production deal with WWE Studios. Yes, as in the WWE Studios, home of fake wrestling as entertainment for dudes who refuse to admit they might actually enjoy television melodrama. Head of WWE Michael Luisi believes their company can offer a fresh take on 'Leprechaun': "This is a property we believe our audience will respond to, and we continue to look for ways to surprise and engage them."
It's certainly surprising, Mr. Luisi, but just who is the WWE audience? Let's break it down: 89% male, aged 13-45, 45% marijuana smokers, 76% beer drinkers (preferred beer in polls: Budweiser), 34% Juggalos, 3% with college degrees, 98.4% have not thrown away broken lawn furniture in over 5 years, and 65% have tattoos that include flames, skulls, and/or dragons*. So, yeah, this is probably the perfect audience for 'Leprechaun',
*Statistical figures are educated guesses.