“Leprechaun” director Mark Jones passed away at a Los Angeles hospital at age 72 on Friday, January 16, his longtime friend and collaborator George Saadi confirmed to Variety.
Jones would have turned 73 on Saturday, January 17, missing his birthday by just hours, the outlet reported.
Director Mark Jones Had a Storied Career
Jones was perhaps best known for directing the 1992 horror comedy film, “Leprechaun.”
The film, which starred Jennifer Aniston and Warwick Davis, became a cult classic, leading to five sequels.
“I was a writer-producer for television in the late-’80s, but I wanted to direct features,” Jones told Yahoo! in 2023. “So I said, ‘Well, I know [with movies that go] direct to video and are made under a million dollar budget, it’s probably easier to get a horror movie as a first-time filmmaker… So I just came up with the idea.”
He went on to say that he fought the studio to cast Aniston over actress Kristy Swanson.
“I know she hates me for putting her in that movie, and I’ve been trying to call her and apologize, but she keeps changing her phone number. But it was her first movie, it was my first movie, and she was excited,” he recalled. “She was a professional. She had a great sense of humor… She was also a real pro. And then right after ‘Leprechaun’ came out, that next year she got ‘Friends.'”
In a separate interview with Super Chris Jones, the director admitted he was offered “a real large amount of money” to sell the script and step back from directing.
He ultimately turned down the offer and accepted less money to write and direct the film, instead of simply selling his script.
In addition to “Lebrechaun” and its many sequels, Jones later directed and co-wrote “Rumpelstiltskin,” another horror comedy based on a fairy tale. In television, he is known for writing for such shows as “Scooby Doo,” “The A-Team,” “The Fall Guy,” and “The Highwayman”.
According to Variety, “a private memorial service for Jones is planned for the near future.”
Tributes Began to Pour In After Mark Jones’ Passing
After news began circulating about the passing of the iconic director.
“RIP Mark Jones 1.16.26 🙁 Our hearts & prayers go out to your family and friends. You will forever be a legend and real-life hero. :(” Chris Jones shared via Youtube. “Truly a legend, always and forever!”
