Gremlins 3: Potential Release, Cast & Everything We Know

Posted By: Sophia Andrew

Posted On: December 25, 2023

Let’s find out more about the cast and when Gremlins 3 might come out.

After starting with the Christmas classic Gremlins in 1984, the series continued with Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990. However, the mischievous mogwai, who are afraid of light, hasn’t appeared in a movie for more than thirty years.

Is Gremlins 3 Happening?

After fan-made Gremlins 3 posters and trailers spread on various social media platforms in late 2023, excitement among fans has grown. People are eagerly waiting to get the latest updates on the upcoming Gremlins movie.

The development of Gremlins 3 has been in progress for quite a while, even by Hollywood standards. Vulture first reported in 2013 that Warner Bros. was in the early stages of creating a Gremlins reboot, offering a fresh perspective on the mischievous creatures more than 20 years after Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

A few months later, Bloody Disgusting reported that Seth Grahame-Smith, the writer of The Lego Batman Movie, was chosen to produce the new Gremlins film, collaborating with It producer David Katzenberg.

In 2015, Zach Galligan, known for his roles in Gremlins and Gremlins 2, hinted that the new movie would be titled Gremlins 3. He shared with Den of Geek that the film would continue the same story as the original ones, rather than being a reboot or remake.

Furthermore, Galligan mentioned to Bleeding Cool in 2016 that Chris Columbus, the original director of Gremlins, had been actively working on Gremlins 3, which would be set in the present day.

The latest information on the movie came from Columbus himself in 2020. During a conversation with Collider, he mentioned that he would “love to do it” and disclosed that there is a script for the film.

“I would love to do it. I wrote a script, so there is an existing script. We’re working out some rights issues right now, so we’re just trying to figure out when the best time to make that film would be. I would still do it the same way – I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI. Maybe having — you know we had one stop-motion scene in the first ‘Gremlins,’ but I don’t think I’d use much CGI in ‘Gremlins 3.'”

When Could Gremlins 3 Release?

Gremlins 3 seems to be stuck in development limbo and hasn’t made any significant progress in the past three years. Given this situation, if the movie does eventually move forward with official development and production, it’s unlikely to hit theaters until late 2025 at the earliest.

What Would Gremlins 3’s Story Be About?

In a conversation with Slashfilm in 2017, Columbus clarified that his script for Gremlins 3 revisits the same dark and macabre tone that was present in the original movie. This tone led to the creation of the PG-13 rating by the MPAA in 1984.

Columbus expressed his pride in the script, highlighting that it was “as twisted and dark as anything.” He mentioned that the primary concern for production revolved around discussions about the budget.

“I’m really proud of the script. 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.”

Galligan revealed to Bleeding Cool that there was an idea to set the story in Las Vegas at one point. However, the studio deemed it too expensive to pursue.

“[For ‘Gremlins 2’], one of the ideas that was rejected was ‘gremlins in Vegas’ they went with that for 18 months and felt it was too expensive.”

As a reference, Gremlins 2 concluded with Gizmo residing with Zach Galligan’s Billy and Phoebe Cates’ Kate. Greta, the only survivor in a new batch of gremlins, is shown approaching Robert Picardo’s Forster at the end of the film in a wedding gown, attempting to marry him.

Given that Gremlins 3 is expected to unfold long after the events of that movie, it’s challenging to predict the direction of the story. This is particularly uncertain when considering which characters may or may not make a return for the sequel.

Who Would Be Cast In Gremlins 3?

In Galligan’s conversation with Bleeding Cool, he hinted that Columbus had plans for multiple new characters to take the lead in Gremlins 3. Additionally, there would be a few returning characters from the first two movies, similar to the approach taken by Star Wars in Episode VII: The Force Awakens in 2015.

“[Columbus] tantalisingly says there will be some NEW characters and some OLD characters – I guess in the style of a ‘Force Awakens’ type sequel”

While a few cast members from Gremlins 2, such as Christopher Lee, Tony Randall, and Robert Prosky, have passed away since the last film, there’s potential for some original stars to make a comeback.

Given that the last movie set up Gizmo to live with Billy and Kate, it’s likely that both Galligan and Cates could return, even though Cates has been mostly absent from Hollywood since 1994, with only two credits on her resume.

There’s also a slim chance that Howie Mandel could return to voice Gizmo. Mandel is still active, hosting America’s Got Talent, and a voiceover role might not demand much time from his busy schedule.

As for the rest of the cast, it’s currently unknown, but there could be many actors eager to be part of a continuation of this story. This is especially true for a new generation of actors who grew up with the first few movies.

As of now, Gremlins 3 isn’t officially slated to go into production or be released.

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