New Leprechaun performance based on Heath Ledger’s Joker

Last Updated on July 21, 2021

Steven Kostanski's LEPRECHAUN sequel is being released by Lionsgate next month and is being touted as a direct sequel to the first film. Mark Holton (PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE) reprises the role of Ozzie from the original 1993 flick and judging by lines in the trailer, the heroine is the daughter of Jennifer Aniston's character from the original. Not only that but Linden Porco is taking over the role of the titular green meanie from franchise mainstay Warwick Davis this time around.

But did you know that the new actor based his LEPRECHAUN RETURNS performance, in part, on Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker from Christopher Nolan's THE DARK KNIGHT? Well, now you do. Porco recently sat down with our buddies over at MovieWeb and let them know all kinds of interesting stuff, including his inspirations.

Linden Porco: 

I would just say that I based [my performance] off of Heath Ledger's Joker. Just that kind of mysterious "I don't care" mentality while I was in the scene and just had fun with it. It was amazing to play this character and I kind of just went after it and whatnot.

It makes sense that Porco based his turn as the little green bastard on Ledger's Academy Award-winning performance. I mean, hasn't every villainous turn in the past decade been inspired by Ledger's Joker to some degree? You can read the full interview right over HERE and then let us know how excited you are for the return of the Leprechaun below!

Directed by Kostanski from a screenplay by Suzanne Keilly, the sequel tells the following story: 

When the sorority sisters of the Alpha Upsilon house decide to go green and use an old well as their water source, they unwittingly awaken a pint-sized, green-clad monster. The Leprechaun wants a pot of gold buried near the sorority house, but first, he must recover his powers with a killing spree — and only the girls of AU can stop him.

Porco and Holton's co-stars include Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, Sai Bennett, Emily Reid, Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins, and Ben McGregor. The original plan for this film was for it to premiere on Syfy on Saint Patrick's Day 2019. It may air on Syfy in March, but we're going to have the chance to watch it three months earlier than that as LEPRECHAUN RETURNS is being released on digital and VOD on December 11th.