Fans of Jennifer Aniston’s throwback horror-comedyLeprechaunwere certainly thrilled to hear that, 30 years later, a remake was in the works. Warwick Davis starred as the eponymous villain, and who knows how the cast would take shape this time around? There was word on the street thatfilmmakerFelipe Vargaswould direct, and MovieWeb recently caught up with him while he was promoting his new horror filmRosario, now playing in theaters. It’s a wild ride that will certainly excite horror fans given the prospect of him taking the reins on the nextLeprechaun, but Vargas weighed in to clear things up for us, explaining how a different reboot is now his main concern.
“It’s a classic. It was Jennifer Aniston’s first film! But unfortunately, I’m no longer working on that project. But my next project is a very far cry from horror. I’m going to be doing a reboot ofBob the Builder, the kids' show with Jennifer Lopez and Anthony Ramos. And it’s in Puerto Rico now. It’s a really beautiful story of building a home, building a community, and what that means.”
Exclusive: Leprechaun Creator Mark Jones Revisits the Franchise 30 Years Later on Hulu
In honor of the Leprechaun movies coming to Hulu, Mark Jones spoke with us about the franchise, Jennifer Aniston, and a reboot.
In the meantime, fans of horror can bask inRosario, Vargas' new feature that primarily takes place in a rundown apartment, which ultimately becomes haunted by demonic spirits as the eponymous heroine tries to get to the bottom of her late grandmother’s mysterious backstory. Vargas opened up to us about his cinematic influences behind the film’s edgy end result. He said:
“Sam Raimi, of course.Evil Dead II.And further back, like Giallo horror — I’m talking about like bright, neon, gore and blood, and vomit. All of that, I think, found its way intoRosario. There’s a Japanese film calledHousethat is, like, the greatest [haunted] house movie of all time. It is just balls off the wall, nonstop. That one is really fun. And then some old-school, like, Mexican movies…El VampiroandSanta Sangre. All of that, I think, is an amalgamation that made this movie possible.”
From ‘Shadowhunters’to ‘Rosario’
The actress who portrayed “Rosario” in Vargas’ new feature, Emeraude Toubia, also joined our interview with the filmmaker. Freeform viewers will remember her as the whip-wielding “Isabelle” fromShadowhunters. The series ran for five seasons and, likeRosario, was also centered on battling demonic forces. Toubia shared her experience on the show and how it helped prepare her for her all-new leading film role:
“I was constantly training and in heels. I was the only [Shadowhunters] cast member in heels doing it all, by the way. I just love to say that. But I think it definitely helped. I feel like everything that I’ve done in the past, in some way, has helped where I am now and what I do with my choices… I don’t think you ever stop learning, right? You always get better at your craft, inevitably. So yeah, ‘Shadowhunters, thank you!’ It helped. Like, I got to fight some demons then, and unfortunately, I don’t have Isabelle’s whip to fight the demon of [Rosario’s] grandma’s family. I don’t have her whip, but I do have her brains.”
From Mucho Mas Media,Rosariois now playing in theaters nationwide.
