After more than 30 years, the “Gremlins” are back, and so are two of the names that helped put the franchise on the map.
READ MORE: WB Developing New Films Based On ‘Gremlins’ & ‘Goonies’
THR reports that Warner Bros. will revive the black comedy horror films for a third installment, the first since 1990’s “Gremlins: The New Batch.” But while Joe Dante, director of that film and the 1984 original, won’t return to helm “Gremlins 3,” two other massive creative names will be back in the mix. Steven Spielberg is on board as executive producer via Amblin Entertainment, while Chris Columbus, who wrote the 1984 film, returns to direct and produce. Columbus will write the new movie with Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, the duo behind this year’s “Final Destination: Bloodlines.”
But why a new “Gremlins” film now? WBD CEO David Zaslav didn’t provide a reason when he announced the project on a third-quarter earnings call yesterday, but a franchise sequel has been in development for some time. Chalk it up to old IP ready to be recycled for a new generation. Or maybe “Gremlins 3” is an easy layup for Columbus, back in the directing chair and coming off of “The Thursday Murder Club” over at Netflix. Whatever the case, Warner Bros. has the new “Gremlins” movie scheduled for release on November 19, 2027. That’s 37 years since “The New Batch” hit theaters, but just four years since “Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai” premiered on Max in 2023. Perhaps viewership numbers for the animated show’s two seasons prompted Zaslav & co. to greenlight a new film.
For those unfamiliar with “Gremlins,” Dante’s films center on the Mogwai, adorable creatures that turn gleefully destructive if their caretaking rules are broken. The 1984 horror comedy was a big hit for Dante, making $151 million at the domestic box office off a mere $11 million budget. Six years later, “The New Batch” divided audiences, mainly because Dante altered the formula of the first movie. The sequel, set in NYC, parodizes much of its predecessor’s horror elements, and while critics generally liked the cartoonish vibe, audiences split on it. The result was just $41 million at the box office, which did not recoup the film’s estimated $50 million budget.
Both “Gremlins” films fare well with cinephiles after nearly four decades, however, with champions for “The New Batch” including the likes of Quentin Tarantino. Will that nostalgia help “Gremlins 3” when it hits theaters in a couple years? Maybe, maybe not; let’s see who gets cast in the movie first.
