What is the Gremlins 3 release date? In 1984, the world was gifted with one of the best horror-comedy franchises. Directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus, Gremlins is a bona fide classic, and ever since the release of Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990, fans have been dying for a sequel.
It’s been over 30 years, and fans are still waiting for a new Gremlins movie, but they’re persistent for good reason. Talks about a potential Gremlins 3 have been circulating Hollywood since 2013. And despite the fact that Warner Bros have seemingly put the project on hold, Columbus has been giving fans updates on the future horror movie. The franchise is also getting attention once again, thanks to the new TV series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which serves as a prequel to the original ‘80s movie.
So yeah, Gremlins 3 isn’t a far-off dream at all; in fact, it’s inevitable!
With that in mind, The Digital Fix has gathered all the details that you need to know ahead of the next Mogwai outing. From The Gremlins 3 release date, cast, plot, and more, here is everything we know about the potential movie.
Gremlins 3 release date speculation
There’s currently no set release date for Gremlins 3, but we suspect the new movie will arrive in 2025. We are guessing this 2025 date because, really, for the first time in years, Gremlins 3 actually has a solid chance to start production, thanks to the newly released Max animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
If Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai does well, it will push Warner Bros to give us our trilogy finally. Director Chris Columbus already has a script for the new movie, and in 2020 told Collider that rights issues are one of the only things putting the production on hold for now.
“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,” he said.
Gremlins actor Zach Galligan also told Entertainment Weekly in 2021 that following the new series, another Gremlins movie is “inevitable”. And honestly, we agree!
The “best time” for a movie to be made would arguably be after a certain TV series propels the franchise back into the public consciousness. So fingers crossed that this is the start of Gremlins 3 becoming a reality in 2025. Stay tuned for updates!
Gremlins 3 cast speculation
Zach Galligan has been vocal about a potential Gremlins sequel, so we’re betting he’d be in the cast of Gremlins 3.
Galligan starred in the first two Gremlin movies as Billy Peltzer, so it makes sense that he’d be back for the sequel. We are also keeping our fingers crossed that Phoebe Cates will return as Billy’s girlfriend, Kate Beringer. While Cates hasn’t been active in her acting career since 2015, we are still hopeful that she’ll make a comeback as she starred in both Gremlin movies before.
On the voice of Gizmo, Howie Mandel, who provided the voice for the original monster movie, may be back, or we could see a TV series crossover with A. J. LoCascio (who voices the critter in Secrets of the Mogwai) comes through instead.
Honestly, though, we’d bet money on Mandel returning as Gizmo since the upcoming sequel will likely be a follow-up to Gremlins 2: The New Batch, as opposed to a prequel like Secrets of the Mogwai.
Here is the expected Gremlins 3 cast list:
- Zach Galligan as Billy Peltzer
- Phoebe Cates as Kate Beringer
- Howie Mandel as Gizmo
This is all just speculation on our end. We’ll keep you updated once cast announcements start to filter in.
What will Gremlins 3 be about?
If Gremlins 3 uses Columbus’s script, it will be a twisted and dark story, one where people begin to question if cute Gizmo should be eliminated.
During an interview with Slash Film, Columbus discussed how his Gremlins 3 script returns back to the horror movie roots from the first Gremlins movie instead of the comedy tones in Gremlins 2.
As the filmmaker states, “too many people are dying,” and folks begin to consider if eliminating Gizmo, whose Mogwai offspring are the cause of chaos, is a good idea.
This would be a major dark direction for the franchise as Gizmo is adorable and, when you look at it, pretty innocent in all of this. Sure, he spawns killer monsters, but that’s only when humans don’t take care of him properly. I mean, how hard is it to remember the simple rules: “no food after midnight,” “avoid bright light,” and “don’t get Gizmo wet”?
Still, the somber direction is exciting, and we can see tons of moral conflict rise in the new movie.
“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.”
In 2015, Galligan also provided insights into Gremlins 3’s story, especially its timeline. The new film will be set 30 years after Gremlins 2, and likely feature legacy cast members paving the way for a new gang of Gremlin-afflicted humans. Think along the same lines as the new Jurassic Park movies with Jurassic World.
So yeah, although we don’t have an official plot synopsis, we do have a pretty clear idea of what Gremlins 3 will look like if Columbus gets his way. Obviously, a new script could be commissioned, but we doubt Columbus would let that happen after fighting for his sequel since 2013.
Is there a trailer for Gremlins 3?
There’s no trailer for Gremlins 3 yet, but we expect a teaser in 2025 if the film gets announced after Secrets of the Mogwai. Teasers typically drop a couple of months before the release of a film.
While we wait to see if the Max series pushes Hollywood to kickstart production on Gremlins 3, fans can enjoy one of the best Mountain Dew Ads to ever hit our small screens. Although we didn’t get any updates on Gremlins 3 in 2021, we did see Gizmo and Billy again during a commercial for the famous soft drink.
And oh boy, it’s downright adorable as well as nostalgic. It also shows us Billy’s daughter, and another little Gizmo on her shoulder, so add that to your Gremlins lore, folks. Check out the Ad for yourself down below.
Where can I watch Gremlins?
Gremlins, Gremlins 2, and Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, are available to watch online via Max in the US and on Now TV in the UK. Fans can also buy or rent the first two movies on VOD platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
Since Warner Bros owns the rights to Gremlins, we are guessing that Gremlins 3 will also head to its streaming service Max once it’s released. Keep your eyes on this page as more news heads our way.
And that’s everything we know about Gremlins 3, folks! For more revived classics, check out our guides on everything we know about the Harry Potter TV series release date and The Exorcist Believer release date.
We also have guides to the best horror series of all time, and the best movies of all time for you to look through, too.