Get ready to quit cold turkey all of that midnight snacking, because the Gremlins are back. In February we learned WarnerMedia was planning a Gremlins animated series, in hopes it would get people interested in their streaming service? Well, it must’ve worked because the series is officially a go, although I’m curious if this is exactly what long-time fans of the franchise were expecting.
Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin TV are teaming up on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, an animated prequel set in 1920s China. The series will follow 10-year-old Sam Wing, who would grow up to be shop owner Mr. Wing seen in the 1984 movie, and his first encounter with the Mogwai named Gizmo.
Wait, so does this mean Gizmo was super old? How long do those things live?
Developing this new take on Gremlins will be writer/exec-producer Tze Chun, known for directing Bryan Cranston in 2013’s Cold Comes the Night.
Here’s the serie synopsis: In the animated television adaptation, we travel back to 1920s Shanghai to reveal the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 movie) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Along with a teenage street thief named Elle, Sam and Gizmo take a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside, encountering, and sometimes battling, colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.
So I’m very curious the reaction this is going to get. People complained that Gremlins 2: The New Batch, which is awesome, was too funny and satirical to be related to the prior movie, which had humor but was considerably darker. But this animated Gremlins hardly sounds like it’s in the same ballpark as either movie. That we’re getting anything from this franchise is a plus, though, and hopefully it turns out to be a decent addition that inspires more in the future. I’m always amazed at how little has been done with Gremlins over the years.
