Warner Bros. is reawakening the beloved 'Gremlins' franchise after a three-decade slumber, and it's doing so with a formidable lineup of powerhouse names. David Zaslav, the chief of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced the greenlight for a new 'Gremlins' film during the company's third-quarter earnings call on Thursday, sparking excitement among fans and industry insiders alike.
Steven Spielberg is returning as executive producer through his company Amblin Entertainment, while Chris Columbus, the writer of the 1984 original film, is also back to produce and direct the film. The duo behind this summer's horror hit 'Final Destination: Bloodlines,' Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, are joining forces with Columbus to pen the new feature installment.
The new 'Gremlins' movie is slated for release on November 19, 2027, making it the first 'Gremlins' film in 37 years. The original 'Gremlins' was a dark horror comedy directed by Joe Dante and introduced the adorable creature known as a Mogwai, which was adopted as a pet by a suburban family. However, when the creature's caretaking rules were broken, the Mogwai transformed into a destructive array of green killer monsters. The film was a box office hit, produced for just $11 million and grossing $151 million domestically.
The franchise saw a divisive sequel directed by Dante but not written by Columbus, titled 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch.' Released in 1990, it was a broad comedy set in New York City that satirized the original film in a brutal manner. The film only made $41 million at the box office and effectively halted the franchise until now.
Warner Bros. and Amblin effectively tested modern-day interest in 'Gremlins' with an animated series titled 'Secrets of the Mogwai,' which was launched in 2023 and has aired two seasons on Max. 'Gremlins 2' has also gained a certain level of cult appreciation since its release and has been championed by director Quentin Tarantino, who praised the film's ability to parody the original in a MAD Magazine-style take-off.
"With 'Gremlins 2,' [Dante] was able to do a MAD Magazine take-off on the first 'Gremlins' for the entire movie," Tarantino said. "They actually start goofing on every aspect of Christopher Columbus' original premise…and it was hysterical…it actually gets better every time you see it. It’s the first of those gag-like movies to 100% work from beginning to end since 'Airplane!'"
The notion of gremlins was first conceived during the 1920s when mechanical failures in Royal Air Force aircraft were jokingly blamed on small monsters. The term "gremlins" also entered popular culture when children's author and RAF pilot Roald Dahl published a book called 'The Gremlins' in 1943. Walt Disney considered adapting the project into a feature film, but it never got off the ground until now.
Other producers on the new 'Gremlins' movie include Kristie Macosko Krieger, Holly Bario, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe, all bringing their unique expertise and vision to this highly anticipated reboot.
