The Big Picture

• Warner Bros. is considering making a live-action sequel to the cult classic film Gremlins , according to actor Zach Galligan.
• The success of the animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai has led to speculation about a third installment in the franchise.
• The potential sequel would be a fresh story, not a reboot, as original writer Chris Columbus has expressed his opposition to a remake.

Class is permanent and when a brilliant piece of creative work is birthed, it transcends the era from which it has emerged. That is undoubtedly the case for Warner Bros. Gremlins, which in the forty years since its release - with this year making that anniversary - has become one of the most beloved films of the 1980s. Now, the cult classic has received a promising update from one of its original stars regarding a long-awaited sequel. Released in 1984, the Joe Dante-directed film turned out as a huge success for Warner Bros., becoming the third highest grossing film for that year. Six years down the line in 1990, Dante delivered a sequel titled Gremlins 2: The New Batch and a third film has always been rumored despite not materializing.

Warner Bros. have actively sought to develop a third installment in the series, but have not succeeded over the years. However, that might change with the arrival of the Max animated series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. The prospect of a third feature film has received an optimistic update from Zach Galligan who portrayed Billy in the original feature. Offering a bit of insight on the matter in an interview with Screen Rant, Galligan notes that "a live-action film” is the path Warner Bros. Discovery will follow in bringing back the horror classic. "I do. I can’t really figure out why Warner Bros. would do 2 seasons - not one, but two seasons - of the animated series, and spend a lot of money on it, unless there was some kind of endgame," the actor said referencing the Max animated series. "And usually the endgame for a huge studio like Warner Bros. Discovery is a live-action film. A live-action film is always where you’re going to make the most money. Super Mario Bros. just proved that!"

The actor added that Gremlins 3 will most likely be a fresh baked story rather than a reboot, saying, "The endgame probably will be, I’m hoping, a third film. I don’t think it’ll be a reboot, though, because Chris Columbus has nixed that idea. He owns part of the rights." Before he became the legendary director of several Harry Potter films and Home Alone, Chris Columbus had penned the original script for Gremlins. The director was inspired by "mice running around at night" in his apartment.

What Will 'Gremlins 3' Look Like?

When Gremlins 3 does arrive, it would be interesting to see exactly what the storyline would be. When Dante directed Gremlins 2: The New Batch, it was markedly different from the original film setting itself apart as more of a live-action cartoon. Speaking in 2015, Galligan maintained a consistent message regarding a third installment would not be a reboot but leaned toward a Jurassic World-type angle. “It’s not going to be a reboot. It will not be a remake in any way, shape, or form. Chris Columbus has come out and said that the first film is very near and dear to his heart and as long as he is alive it will never be remade," the actor said at the time. "So the only thing they will be – and apparently are going to be – doing is something along the lines of like Jurassic World, where it will be 30 years later.”

Gremlins is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S.

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