| Gremlins | |
|---|---|
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| Also known as |
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| Based on | |
| Developed by | Tze Chun |
| Voices of | |
| Music by | Sherri Chung |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Danielle Witz |
| Running time | 22 minutes[1] |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Max |
| Release | May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23) – present |
| Related | |
Gremlins is an American animatedfantasyadventurehorrorcomedy television series.[2] Serving as a prequel to the1984 film of the same name and its 1990 sequelGremlins 2: The New Batch,[3] the series is set in 1920sShanghai,East China, and tells the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing metGizmo, a young Mogwai.[4] It was written and executive produced byTze Chun.Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey,Sam Register, andBrendan Hay also serve as executive producers,[5] withJoe Dante (the director of theGremlins films) as consulting producer. In February 2021, ahead of the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season.[6][7]
The first episode had its world premiere at theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[8][1] before the series debuted with the launch ofMax on May 23, 2023, consisting of 10 episodes. The series was also set to air onCartoon Network as part of theirACME Night block.[9][10][11] However, the block moved toAdult Swim in September 2023 before that could happen.[12]
The first half of the second season titledGremlins: The Wild Batch was released on October 3, 2024. It shows how Sam and Gizmo move from Shanghai to America before Randall Peltzer discovers Gizmo.[13][14] The second half of season two was released on April 10, 2025.[15]
The series focuses on how 10-year-old Sam Wing met the young Mogwai calledGizmo. 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 fromChinese mythology andChinese folklore. On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by Riley Greene, a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.[16] The series also delves into the creation of the Mogwai by the goddessNuwa and her brotherFuxi. The second season takes place one year after the first season.
| Season | Subtitle | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | ||||
| 1 | Secrets of the Mogwai | 10 | May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23) | June 22, 2023 (2023-06-22) | |
| 2 | The Wild Batch | 10 | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [18] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Never Get Them Wet" | Michael Chang & Stephanie Gonzaga | Tze Chun | May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23) |
| 2 | 2 | "Never Feed Them After Midnight" | Vaughn Ross | Brendan Hay | May 23, 2023 (2023-05-23) |
| 3 | 3 | "Always Buy a Ticket" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Anna Christopher | June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01) |
| 4 | 4 | "Don't Drink the Tea" | Alexandra Chiu | Sarah Nerboso | June 1, 2023 (2023-06-01) |
| 5 | 5 | "Always Stab or Run" | Vaughn Ross | Peter Chen | June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08) |
| 6 | 6 | "Always Buy a God a Drink First" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Brendan Hay | June 8, 2023 (2023-06-08) |
| 7 | 7 | "Never Squeeze a Fox" | Alex Chiu | Anna Christopher | June 15, 2023 (2023-06-15) |
| 8 | 8 | "Never Hug a Mogwai" | Vaughn Ross | Sarah Nerboso | June 15, 2023 (2023-06-15) |
| 9 | 9 | "Never Give Up" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Brendan Hay | June 22, 2023 (2023-06-22) |
| 10 | 10 | "Never Ever Expose Them to Bright Light" | Alex Chu | Tze Chun | June 22, 2023 (2023-06-22) |
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [19] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [18] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Always Be Ready for Adventure" | Jasmine Goggins & Vaughn Ross | Tze Chun | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | |
| 12 | 2 | "Never Take the Tour" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Anna Christopher | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | |
| 13 | 3 | "Never Use Double Negatives" | Alex Chiu | Brendan Hay | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | |
| 14 | 4 | "Always Bring a Toothpick" | Jasmine Goggins | Sarah Nerboso | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | |
| 15 | 5 | "There's Always a Fortune in the Cookie Factory" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Felicia Ho | October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03) | |
Elle meets her mother Margot who reveals her name is Elle-Marie. | ||||||
| 16 | 6 | "Never Get Out of the Truck" | Alex Chiu | Anna Christopher | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
| 17 | 7 | "Always Ask for Backstory" | Jasmine Goggins | Sarah Nerboso | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
| 18 | 8 | "Never Try the Cider" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Jo Claes & Felicia Ho | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
| 19 | 9 | "Always or Never Make Wishes" | Alex Chiu | Brendan Hay | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
| 20 | 10 | "Always Make the Hard Choice" | Jasmine Goggins | Tze Chun | April 10, 2025 (2025-04-10) | |
On February 25, 2019,WarnerMedia greenlit an animated series based onGremlins,[20][21] for its streaming serviceHBO Max.[22]Tze Chun was confirmed to write the series and serve as an executive producer with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey,Sam Register, andBrendan Hay.[23] On July 1, 2019, the series, now titledGremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, was given a series order of 10 episodes.[24][25]
In February 2020,Joe Dante, director of the original two films, revealed that he acted as a consultant for the series.[26] In July of that same year, it was revealed thatHowie Mandel would not reprise his role asGizmo for the series.[27] On February 17, 2021, ahead of the series premiere, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season at theTCA virtual Press Tour.[6]
In February 2021, the voice cast ofIzaac Wang,Ming-Na Wen,B. D. Wong,James Hong,Matthew Rhys, and Gabrielle Green was announced, withA.J. LoCascio voicing Gizmo.[28] In December 2021, the first clip was shown in an HBO Max trailer for 2022 releases.[29] In July 2022,Zach Galligan,Sandra Oh,Randall Park,George Takei, andBowen Yang were revealed to have roles in the series. Galligan previously portrayed Gizmo's modern-day ownerBilly Peltzer in bothGremlins films.[10] Animation for the series was provided by Blue Spirit Productions and 88 Pictures.
In July 2024, it was announced thatJohn Glover,Michael Paul Chan,Ronny Chieng,Keith David,Will Forte,Kelly Hu,Simu Liu, andJimmy O. Yang had joined the cast ofGremlins: The Wild Batch.[30] Glover previously portrayed Daniel Clamp inGremlins 2: The New Batch.
The first episode ofGremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai had its world premiere at theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[8][1] before the 10-episode series debuted with the launch ofMax on May 23, 2023.[31][32] The series would have aired onCartoon Network as part of theirACME Night block.[9] However, the block moved toAdult Swim in September 2023 before that could happen.[12] The series aired in theUnited Kingdom onCBBC,BBC Three andBBC iPlayer on October 30, 2023.[33] The series also aired inJapan onCartoon Network Japan on November 8, 2025 (which was along with "The Deal" (from the episode ofThe Amazing World of Gumball) and "Pet Feud" (from the episode ofThe Powerpuff Girls (1998))).
The first half of the second season titledGremlins: The Wild Batch debuted on October 3, 2024.[13][14] The second half of the second season was released on April 10, 2025.[34]
For the first season, thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.4/10 based on 21 critics. The website's consensus reads: "Recapturing the original movies' blend of cuteness and mayhem,Secrets of the Mogwai is delightful family entertainment -- just don't feed it after midnight."[35] OnMetacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on reviews from nine critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36]
For the second season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.6/10 based on 7 critics.[37]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | Nominated | [38] |
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Leah Artwick(for "Never Give Up") | Nominated | [39] | |
| Producers Guild Awards | Outstanding Children's Program | Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | Nominated | [40] | |
| 2025 | Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Gremlins: The Wild Batch | Nominated | [41] |
| Annie Awards | Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children | Gremlins: The Wild Batch(for "Never Use Double Negatives") | Nominated | [42] | |
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program | Agnes Kim and Sarah Noonan | Won | [43][44] | |
| Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program | Sherri Chung | Nominated |
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