It’s official, people, WarnerMedia has decided to go full steam ahead on its “Gremlins” animated prequel series, titled “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.” And honestly, this doesn’t sound too good.
According to WarnerMedia, the company has ordered a full season of the animated prequel series to the cult-classic horror comedy “Gremlins” for its upcoming streaming service. The series will be set in 1920s Shanghai and will focus on a 10-year-old boy named Sam Wing. That name might sound familiar because young Sam would eventually grow up and become the shop owner Mr. Wing from the 1984 original film. Sam will team up with his newfound friend Gizmo (the Mogwai) and a street thief named Elle for adventures spanning the Chinese countryside.
READ MORE: WarnerMedia To Develop New ‘Gremlins’ Animated Series For Upcoming Streaming Service
If you were hoping that the animated “Gremlins” prequel would feature anything remotely similar to the films that people have enjoyed for decades, then you’re out of luck. Instead, it appears we’re getting a children’s show about Chinese mythology with a dash of “Gremlins” thrown in for good measure. Of course, considering we’re going off a plot synopsis (found below), this could ultimately be changed and we could be greeted with a more faithful story than we’re imagining.
Last we heard, the series was being developed by Tze Chun, the writer-director behind the 2013 film “Cold Comes the Night,” starring Bryan Cranston. He also is responsible for episodes of “Once Upon a Time” and “Gotham.”
The new WarnerMedia streaming service is expected to be yet another major streamer that will fight for your hard-earned money after the upcoming launches of Apple TV+ and Disney+. Not only will it feature original content, but it’s said to include the entire Warner Bros. library of films and TV series, as well as HBO and Cinemax, reportedly.
No launch date has been announced.
Here’s the full synopsis:
In the animated television adaptation, we travel back to 1920s Shanghai to reveal the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 movie) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Along with a teenage street thief named Elle, Sam and Gizmo take a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside, encountering, and sometimes battling, colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.