| Gremlins | |
|---|---|
_logo.svg){kind=logo} Official franchise logo | |
| Created by | Chris Columbus |
| Original work | Gremlins (1984) |
| Owners | Warner Bros. Entertainment Amblin Entertainment |
| Years | 1984–present |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Animated series | Gremlins (2023–present) |
| Games | |
| Video game(s) | Gremlins (1984) Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) Lego Dimensions (2015) Multiversus (2024) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Theme park attraction(s) | Warner Bros. Classics & Great Gremlins Adventure |
Gremlins is an Americancomedy horrormedia franchise produced and owned byWarner Bros. andAmblin Entertainment. The franchise centers on a species of creatures known asmogwai (Cantonese:魔怪, 'devil'), which evolve into the titular imp-like monsters if the three rules regarding their care are violated; in particular, the franchise focuses on the conflict between the friendly Gizmo and the malicious Stripe (also known as Mohawk). The franchise began withthe 1984 film of the same name, written byChris Columbus and directed byJoe Dante; and continued with a sequel,Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), also directed by Dante. A third theatrical film is scheduled for release in 2027. The franchise also includes video games,an animated television series and related merchandise.
Themogwai are the central species of the franchise, based oneponymous creatures in Chinese folklore. Their volatility is such that whoever comes across one must adhere to three specific rules: Amogwai must not to be exposed to light, especially sunlight, which is lethal to the species; it must not come into contact with water, which triggers its multiplication ability; and most importantly, it must not be fed after midnight, which triggers its evolution into a Gremlin, adopting a more reptilian appearance than itsmogwai form.
| Film | Director | Writer(s) | Producer | Composer | Cinematographer | Editor(s) | Production company | Distributor(s) | Running time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gremlins (1984) | Joe Dante | Chris Columbus | Michael Finnell | Jerry Goldsmith | John Hora | Tina Hirsch | Amblin Entertainment | Warner Bros. Pictures | 106 minutes |
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) | Charles S. Haas | Kent Beyda |
Gremlins, released June 8, 1984, was directed by Joe Dante, written byChris Columbus, and produced byMichael Finnell; and starsZach Galligan,Phoebe Cates,Hoyt Axton,Polly Holliday andFrances Lee McCain, withHowie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch, the sequel toGremlins, was released on June 15, 1990. Like the first film, it was directed by Dante, withCharles S. Haas writing the screenplay. Galligan, Cates,Keye Luke andDick Miller reprise their roles.
In January 2013, Vulture reported that Warner Bros. was negotiating with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment to reboot theGremlins franchise.[1]Seth Grahame-Smith was tapped to produce, alongside David Katzenberg.[2] However, Grahame-Smith has since stated that the project has been put on hold.[3] In November 2015,Zach Galligan confirmed that the third film will be a sequel and not a reboot.[4]
In a December 2016 interview withBleeding Cool, Galligan said thatChris Columbus had been "aggressively working on aGremlins 3", which had writerCarl Ellsworth on board. A 2017 interview with Columbus discussed his "twisted and dark" script which explored the idea that has been on the fans' minds for a long time: "If all the gremlins come from getting Gizmo wet and feeding his mogwai offspring after midnight, should Gizmo be eliminated?"[5] In November 2020, Columbus stated that CGI would not be used for the gremlins and that traditional puppets and animatronics would continue to be used.[6]
In January 2025, it was reported byDeadline that Warner Bros. was developing a thirdGremlins movie written and directed by Chris Columbus who was also writing a sequel toThe Goonies. On April 11, 2025, a sequel was confirmed by Warner Bros.[7] On November 6, 2025, it was reported that the second sequel has a release date of November 19, 2027. The script will be co-written by Columbus,Zach Lipovsky andAdam Stein.[8]
The animatedGremlins series debuted with the launch ofMax on May 23, 2023. Serving as a prequel to the films, the series focuses on the young Sam Wing and his adventures with Gizmo.
Gremlins was adapted into anovelization byGeorge Gipe, published byAvon Books in June 1984. The novel offered an origin formogwai and gremlins as a prologue. Supposedly,mogwai were created as gentle, contemplative creatures by a scientist on analien world. However, it was discovered theirphysiology was unstable. The result was only 1 in 10,000mogwai would retain their sweet, loving demeanor. The rest would change into creatures the novel referred to as "mischievous". The minoritymogwai (the 1 in 10,000) are immortal by human standards, though Gizmo explains to Stripe if he were to undergo the transformation himself, he would become like the others, "short lived and violent". This origin is unique to the novel but is referred to in the novelization ofGremlins 2 byDavid Bischoff. No definitive origin formogwai or gremlins is given in eitherGremlins film. The novelization contains a subplot that was cut from the original film, where theNational Guard plans to neutralize the gremlins with fire hoses.[citation needed]
A comic book adaptation ofGremlins was published byWestern Publishing in 1984.[9]
There were also children's books likeGremlins 2: The New Batch: Movie Storybook, by Michael Teitelbaum, published by Goldencraft in December 1990.Little Golden Books publishedGremlins 2: The New Batch: Gizmo to the Rescue in July 1990.[10] In the United Kingdom,William Heinemann Ltd. had published two tie-in picture books from Buzz Books in August 1990 which contains photographs and scenes taken from the film. They were titledDon't Get Wet andMidnight Feast.David Bischoff wrote a novel based on the film published byAvon Books in June 1990. A unique aspect of the novel is how Bischoff adapts the sequence where the film breaks. In the novel, the Brain Gremlin subdues and locks Bischoff in his bathroom before taking the reins for a little bit to explain that the gremlins take over at this point in the film, his displeasure at Bischoff using the nickname "Mr. Glasses" instead of his official name and begins a treatise on politics before Bischoff breaks his way out of the bathroom with an axe and subdues the Brain Gremlin. The novel then continues where the film picked up after the film break.[11]
Several officially licensedvideo games based on the franchise have been produced. One of the first wasGremlins, released byAtari, Inc. for their2600 console.
The Spanish companyTopo Soft developed a side-scrollingGremlins 2: The New Batch video game forAmiga,Atari ST,Commodore 64,DOS,MSX,Amstrad CPC and theZX Spectrum, distributed by Erbe Software in Spain and byElite abroad, being the first time a Spanish video game company got an exclusive license from a Hollywood movie to make a videogame.[12] Hi Tech Expressions also released a DOS game at around the same time, but it was poorly received.Sunsoft releasedversions for theNintendo Entertainment System andGame Boy in 1990.[13][14]
Atari, Inc. released a completely different[15] (and more technically advanced) game—also calledGremlins—for theAtari 5200 console and theApple II,Commodore 64, andIBM PC compatible computers. Although the Atari 5200 version went to manufacturing in 1984, the turmoil surroundingJack Tramiel's takeover of Atari's consumer business resulted in it not being released until 1986.[15]
In the 2000s, more games were released;Gremlins: Unleashed! was released onGame Boy Color in 2001. The game was about Gizmo trying to catch Stripe and thirty other gremlins, while the gremlins also try to turn Gizmo into a gremlin. Both Gizmo and Stripe are playable characters in the game.[16]
In 2011NECA, published a Gremlins game for theWii andNintendo DS calledGremlins Gizmo. This was developed byPipeworks Software and was released on November 18, 2011.[17]
A Gremlins Team Pack was released forLego Dimensions on November 18, 2016. The pack includes minifigures of Gizmo and Stripe, a constructible polaroid camera and RC car and grants access to an Adventure World and Battle Arena based on the franchise. Howie Mandel and Frank Welker reprise their respective roles as Gizmo and Stripe.[18][19] Gizmo and Stripe are playable characters in theplatform fighterMultiVersus.[20][21]
At the time of the film's release, aninteractive fiction game based on scenes from the film, entitledGremlins: The Adventure (1985), was released for varioushome computers, including theAcorn Electron, theBBC Micro, theCommodore 64 and theZX Spectrum. The game was written byBrian Howarth forAdventure Soft and was text-based, with full-color illustrations on some formats.
Warner Bros. Classics and The Great Gremlin Adventure was a dark ride located atWarner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Bottrop, Germany (nowMovie Park Germany). On 3 June 1991, Warner Bros. Movie World opened to the public. One of its original attractions was Warner Bros. Classics and The Great Gremlin Adventure. A duplicate of the Australian attraction opened with Warner Bros. Movie World Germany (later renamed Movie Park Germany) on 30 June 1996. It was named Gremlin Invasion. The ride's soft-opening was on 29 June 1996. The ride has been replaced with theScooby-Doo Spooky Coaster andVan Helsing's Factory in the two parks respectively.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch... Released 1990 Platforms Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum"
Gremlins 2: The New Batch... Released 1990 Platforms Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum"
Gremlins 2: The New Batch... Released 1990 Platform NES"
| Films |
|
|---|---|
| Video games |
|
| Television |
|
| Related | |
