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Mark Jones, the writer-director who created the “Leprechaun” movie franchise following a decades-long profession in TV and animation, has died after a quick hospital keep. He was 72.
Jones died Friday at West Hills Hospital in Los Angeles, his publicist confirmed to TheWrap.
Jones moved fluidly between animation, community tv and impartial function movies over a number of eras. He wrote and directed the 1993 cult hit “Leprechaun,” starring Jennifer Aniston in one in every of her earliest movie roles. The film launched a long-running horror-comedy franchise that spawned six sequels and a later reboot.
Jones started his profession writing for Saturday morning cartoons, promoting his first script to Filmation Studios earlier than working for DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, the place he wrote for “Mister Magoo” and “The Pink Panther.” He later joined Hanna-Barbera, serving as a author and story editor on collection together with “Tremendous Pals” and “Scooby-Doo.”
At Ruby-Spears Productions, Jones wrote the pilot for the studio’s first animated collection, “Fangface.” He later transitioned into prime-time live-action TV underneath producer Glen A. Larson, writing and modifying reveals comparable to “B.J. and the Bear,” “Sheriff Lobo” and “The Fall Man.”
Stephen J. Cannell subsequently introduced Jones onto his artistic workers, the place he wrote and story-edited episodes of “The A-Crew.” Jones additionally developed live-action collection, produced episodes of “Knight Rider,” and served as showrunner for the syndicated collection “Superboy.”
Following the success of “Leprechaun,” Jones continued directing and writing function movies, together with “Rumpelstiltskin” for producer Dino De Laurentiis, “Trilogy of Terror II” phase “Triloquist” via the Weinstein Firm, and the thriller “Scorned” for Anchor Bay Leisure.
Lately, Jones appeared as a daily contributor on “The Scott Baio Podcast.”
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