Adorers of the classic 1980s film “Gremlins” and its goofier sequel “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” were thrilled for Warner Bros. announcement that a “Gremlins 3” is currently in production and has a planned release date in theaters for Nov. 19, 2027.
If the film does release on the planned date, it will go down as one of the longest time gaps between sequels for a franchise. It’s been 35 years since audiences have seen the lovable mogwai Gizmo and his human companions Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and Cate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) having to fend off against the manic gremlins.
Directing the film is Chris Columbus, who wrote the script for the original film and the third film alongside Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky and Carl Ellsworth. Columbus intends for the third movie in the franchise to be as dark and twisted in tone as the first installment. In an article from SlashFilm, Columbus gives more details of the film's main plot.
“I'm really proud of the script,” Columbus said. “It is as twisted and dark as anything, so we'll see. It's always a budgetary conversation when we're going to shoot it. I wanted to go back to the really twisted sensibility of the first movie. I found that was a very easy place for me to fall back into and start writing again, so hopefully we'll see that movie soon.”
A part of what makes the first two “Gremlins” memorable is their use of practical effects and puppetry to bring the creatures to life. Special effects artist Chris Walas worked on the gremlins and mogwai in the first film, whereas Rick Baker took over for the second to make them look more cartoonish.
Luckily for fans, Columbus will be embracing the use of puppetry when Gizmo and the gremlins are onscreen. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) will only be used if needed.
“Oh, without a doubt, minimal CGI,” Columbus said. “CGI will enable us to remove wires and make the puppeteers’ lives a little easier. It was brutal. It was like a marathon every night for those guys. In the bar scene alone, there were 18-20 people behind the bar. No one had any space to move. It was just hellish for those guys, so CGI will simplify that a little bit, but it's all puppets.”
It is unclear if original director Joe Dante will be involved in the production, or even if Galligan or Cates will be reprising their roles. “Gremlins 3” could very well have a whole new set of human characters to follow.
Actor Jenna Ortega has stated in an interview for IMDb that she’d be on board to be cast in a potential “Gremlins 3.”
“Gremlins 3? 4?... Call me," Ortega said.
Warner Bros. and the production crew have yet to release more details about the film. Although the buzz has been increasing since the film’s initial announcement, it raises an interesting discussion of why “Gremlins 3” has taken over three decades to be produced.
Although this circumstance isn't unique to the “Gremlins” franchise by any means. One of the more recent examples in our modern culture of films and TV is the anticipation for Matt Reeves’ “The Batman: Part II." Reeves’ sequel to the acclaimed “The Batman” from 2022, which was meant to release this year, was recently delayed twice to 2027.
In the case of that film, the cause for its delays was a combination of factors, including the 2023 Hollywood strikes which halted production and the need to complete a script that Reeves was satisfied with before filmmaking could begin.
The reason why “Gremlins 3” was shelved by the studio for over three decades is unknown to the public, but given what Columbus has said in interviews, it likely is the same situation as “The Batman: Part II.”
Some movies just take longer than others to get every aspect right. Hopefully, fans of both properties are left satisfied with the products of years of labor to give them something true to what made the originals beloved.
