Gizmo Will Return In Gremlins 3 Teaser; Despite Release Date Push Back
It’s taken years, but we finally have a first look at Gremlins 3, the third instalment in the comedy–horror series that began in 1984 with Gremlins, directed by Joe Dante. Warner Bros. has unveiled a teaser for the third film featuring the beloved Mogwai Gizmo, who is set to return to the big screen in October 2028.
The first film centred on a young boy called Billy, played by Zach Galligan, who receives a mysterious creature known as a Mogwai for his birthday. Naming his new pet Gizmo, Billy is given a set of rules on care and maintenance, including not feeding Gizmo after midnight or letting them get wet. When the latter rule is accidentally broken, Gizmo spawns five more Mogwai who grow into horrific, evil creatures who wreak havoc on Billy’s town during Christmas Eve.
Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain additionally starred, with Frank Weller providing the voice of Gizmo.
Following critical and commercial success, Gremlins was followed by a sequel, Gremlins 2: New Batch, in 1990.
The third film was originally in development as a 2013 reboot between Warner Bros. and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, but two years later, Galligan confirmed the next film in the Gremlins series would instead be a direct sequel to 1990’s Gremlins 2: New Batch.
“It’s not going to be a reboot. It will not be a remake in any way, shape or form”, Galligan shared. “Chris Columbus has come out and said that the first film is very near and dear to his heart, and as long as he is alive it will never be remade”.
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Reports from 2017 cited the script, penned by Columbus, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein, with Carl Ellsworth originally on board, as a “twisted and dark” and centred around the “fan question”: “If all the gremlins come from getting Gizmo wet and feeding his mogwai offspring after midnight, should Gizmo be eliminated?”
Columbus has also shared the good news that Gremlins 3 will use practical animatronics over CGI, stating: “I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI. Maybe having — you know, we had one stop-motion scene in the first Gremlins, but I don’t think I’d use much CGI in Gremlins 3.”
It was initially reported in November last year that the film would be released 19th November 2027. Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario are credited as producers, with Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe joining. Columbus will direct.
“Few titles are as beloved and iconic as Gremlins, and we’re beyond excited to bring it back for both lifelong fans and a whole new generation,” said Warner Bros. Pictures’ president of development and production Jesse Ehrman. “It’s a privilege to be working alongside Steven (Spielberg), Chris (Columbus), and the entire creative team, and we look forward to audiences experiencing the next instalment of the magic, mayhem, and heart of Gremlins on the big screen.”
Plot or cast details are yet to be confirmed.
Gremlins 3 hits cinemas 6th October 2028.
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