Gremlins 3 could happen in the future, but with so many delays and various updates, it's becoming increasingly unclear when that could be. Since the first movie's release in 1984, Gizmo and the mogwai have become symbols of the horror holiday sub-genre. While it took six years for a sequel to release, it was met with the excitement that could only happen with a cult classic movie like Gremlins. Twenty-years later, longtime fans can anticipate seeing the mogwai once more, but there are a few factors that stand in the way.
Director Joe Dante's movie was inspired by Roald Dahl's novel The Gremlins, which featured bizarre creatures that terrorize the royal air force. Their name mogwai translates to "devil" in Cantonese. While the original creature, Gizmo, does not exhibit demon-like behaviors, his clones do. There are two easy care instructions for these creatures: don't feed them after midnight and don't get them wet. If they are not abided, they become devilish monsters that torment anyone who gets in their way. Despite the fact that the movie was initially marketed towards children, many fans and critics have regarded it as too horrific for this kind of audience. Regardless, it's common to find children's merchandise that sport Gizmo's likeness.
In 2017, Dante expressed his interest in making another sequel to Gremlins, which would explore their origins in a dark and twisted way never seen before. Since then, there's been very little news on the development of Gremlins 3 besides a recent announcement that, if it's made, it will not rely on CGI. As of this writing, there is no solid answer on whether or not the movie will actually happen, but there is a script written and ready to go at any moment, but why is it taking so long to get the green light?
Why Gremlins 3 Is Taking So Long To Make
It's most likely that Gremlins 3 has yet to get the green light because of the difficulty it will face, as it must appeal to a modern audience. The original movies were released during one of horror's greatest eras, the 1980s. As such, they had the opportunity to define themselves away from other popular sub-genres. In 2020, paranormal, zombie, and slashers are the most popular sub-genres. Creature features rarely enjoy massive success, and are often assigned to a B-horror space. It's possible that production companies are hesitant, due to the risk.
At the same time, it may be the fact that the director intends on using practical effects over CGI, which would take an extended period of time to create brand new puppets if the original ones are unavailable, dated, or show signs of aging. There are some complications with rights as well, considering HBO Max's upcoming series, Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai, but it doesn't seem to pose a major threat to production. The primary reasons that Gremlins 3 has been delayed are likely due to production value, associated risks, and the movie's likelihood of being popular enough for a modern audience.
Gremlins 3: Every New Update About The Sequel
Updates about Gremlins 3 are infrequent, but during November 2020, several new developments were announced. Joe Dante announced that they would use practical effects over CGI in order to retain the appeal of the original mogwai. Most fans were elated to hear the news, as CGI commonly transforms some of the most beloved creatures into bizarre, disappointing monsters. While the use of physical puppets may prolong the process of making Gremlins 3, it will be well worth it to avoid the disasters of poorly done CGI, as seen in Andy Muschietti's IT: Chapter Two.Â
The most shocking piece of news was Dante's intention on making the movie much darker than its predecessors. He has even spoken about Gremlins 3 receiving a possible R rating, which would drastically change the series. Gremlins and Gremlins 2 are marked with childlike wonder and imagination. At its core, the franchise is horror, but it's also predominately comedic — an R rating could change this entirely. The possibility of Gremlins 3 becoming a reality is becoming more likely, but Joe Dante and Chris Columbus must first overcome the obstacles of copyright issues, horror trends, costly practical effects, and a potential R rating.