Gremlins 3 Gets Optimistic Update From OG Star After Animated Show Revival (2024)

The production of Gremlins 3 receives a promising update from one of the original stars. Released in 1984, Gremlins is a cult classic film telling the story of a young man with a pet gremlin who accidentally breaks its three important roles, spiraling the being into a path of malevolent chaos. Gremlins features a leading cast of Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie, and Keye Luke.

In an interview with Screen Rant at the Saturn Awards, Galligan reveals an update on the plans for Gremlins 3. The actor mentioned that he believes that “usually the endgame for a huge studio like Warner Bros. Discovery is a live-action film.” Thus, the actor is hoping that there will be a “third film” that is not necessarily a “reboot.” Check out the quote from Galligan below:

I do. I can’t really figure out why Warner Bros. would do 2 seasons - not one, but two seasons - of the animated series, and spend a lot of money on it, unless there was some kind of endgame. And usually the endgame for a huge studio like Warner Bros. Discovery is a live-action film. A live-action film is always where you’re going to make the most money. Super Mario Bros. just proved that!

…The endgame probably will be, I’m hoping, a third film. I don’t think it’ll be a reboot, though, because Chris Columbus has nixed that idea. He owns part of the rights.

The Legacy of Gremlins Explained

In the four decades since its release, Gremlins has become one of the most beloved films of the 1980s. Many can still recite its iconic three rules for having a Mogwai by heart — avoid bright light, don’t get them wet, and don’t feed them after midnight. Gremlins was successful enough that it spawned a sequel, titled Gremlins 2: The New Batch, six years later. Gremlins 3 has been rumored, but not confirmed, for a number of years at this point.

While Gremlins 2 was less revered than the first film, it did not stop Gremlins content from moving forward. In 2022, HBO released the animated TV series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. While borrowing ideas from the original film, Secrets of the Mogwai offered a different cast of main characters in the show. This effort was able to bring Gremlins to a new, younger audience.

As of now, Gremlin: Secrets of the Mogwai has only had a single season. A Gremlins 3 movie has been rumored for a long time, and Galligan’s most recent quote would suggest that a feature film is the likely next path for the franchise. The actor did not confirm his involvement in a threequel, but him speaking out about the prospects of Gremlins 3 is hopeful nonetheless.

Watch Screen Rant's full Saturn Awards interview with Zach Galligan here:

• 

  Gremlins

  When a father gives his son Billy a magical creature known as a Mogwai as a gift, the boy is given strict rules to follow regarding its care. When a lapse in judgment creates the mischievous Gremlins - creatures intent on destruction that threaten to ruin Christmas for the entire town of Kingston Falls - it's up to Billy and his Mogwai companion Gizmo to save the town from the army of little monsters.

  See Also

  Gremlins 3: What Happened to the Planned Sequel?

• 

  Gremlins 2: The New Batch

  A few years after the original <em>Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch</em> again centers around Billy Peltzer and Gizmo, the protagonists of the first film. After Gizmo's home, the Chinatown collectible shop has been destroyed; he escapes into a New York Skyscraper. Gizmo is kidnapped by a scientist who lives in the building and seeks to experiment on him, but Billy manages to rescue him. Unfortunately, after one of the rules is broken by accident and Gizmo has water spilled on him, a new batch of Gremlins are born and begin to wreak havoc on the building - leading to them taking over an entire TV station. Billy and Gizmo must again figure out how to corral the Gremlins and stop them.

• 

  Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

  Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is an animated television series that serves as a prequel to the classic 1984 movie Gremlins. Starring Izaac Wang as Sam Wing, the show explores Gizmo's origins before the events of the first movie.Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Sandra Oh, and George Takei also provide voice work for the series, along with Gremlins star Zach Galligan.