Gremlins 3 Coming in 2027 With Spielberg and Columbus Returning

Gizmo returns as Warner Bros. revives Gremlins franchise.

Warner Bros. is officially bringing the mischievous Mogwai back to the big screen. During Thursday’s third-quarter earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav announced that a new Gremlins film has been greenlit for release on November 19, 2027.

The long-awaited sequel, Gremlins 3, will see Steven Spielberg return as executive producer through his company Amblin Entertainment, while Chris Columbus, the original Gremlins screenwriter, will write, produce, and direct the new installment. The announcement marks the franchise’s first theatrical release in nearly four decades — a staggering 37 years after 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

A Return to Mischief and Mayhem

The Gremlins franchise began in 1984 with Joe Dante’s horror-comedy classic that balanced Christmas charm with dark humor and chaotic creature effects. Spielberg produced the original through Amblin, and the story — penned by a then up-and-coming Columbus — followed Billy Peltzer, his adorable pet Mogwai Gizmo, and the havoc unleashed when the “rules” were broken.

“Don’t get them wet. Keep them out of the light. And never, ever feed them after midnight.” Those words became pop-culture legend, spawning toys, spin-offs, and even influencing the creation of the PG-13 rating due to the film’s mix of family-friendly fun and shocking violence.

Six years later, Gremlins 2: The New Batch brought the mayhem to Manhattan. Dante and Columbus turned the sequel into a meta, self-aware romp that lampooned Hollywood, corporate greed, and even its own existence. While it didn’t match the original’s box office success, it developed a cult following for its wild tone, inventive creature designs, and clever cameos — including a memorable Hulk Hogan fourth-wall break.

Keeping the Franchise Alive

For decades, fans wondered whether Gizmo and his destructive cousins would ever return. Rumors of Gremlins 3 surfaced repeatedly throughout the 2000s and 2010s, with Columbus confirming as recently as 2017 that he had written a “twisted and dark” script closer in tone to the first film.

Interest in the franchise was reignited with Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, an animated prequel series that debuted on HBO Max in 2023. Set in 1920s Shanghai, the show explored the origins of Gizmo and the mythology surrounding the Mogwai species, introducing a new generation of fans to the world while preserving the mischievous spirit of the originals.

With that series now expanding the lore, Gremlins 3 appears to be the next evolution — bringing practical effects and storytelling back to the big screen under the original creators’ guidance.

Full Circle Moment For Chris Columbus

Chris Columbus’ return to Gremlins feels like a homecoming. Before stepping behind the camera, he wrote some of the defining adventures of the 1980s, including Gremlins, The Goonies, and Young Sherlock Holmes. He later turned his sharp eye for character and chaos into directorial gold with Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Mrs. Doubtfire, films that defined family comedies for a generation. Columbus went on to direct the first two Harry Potter films and produce The Prisoner of Azkaban, even earning an Oscar nomination for producing The Help in 2011.

In the years since, he’s kept his love for fantasy and spectacle alive through projects like Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Pixels. With Gremlins 3, Columbus returns to the story that started it all, reuniting with Steven Spielberg to bring back the blend of heart, humor, and holiday mischief that made the original a classic.

The Legacy Lives On

The Gremlins films remain cornerstones of 1980s cinema — blending horror, comedy, and holiday nostalgia in a way that few movies have replicated since. As franchises from the era, such as Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, and Back to the Future, find new life, Gremlins is poised for a long-overdue return to theaters.

While no cast or plot details have been revealed, Warner Bros. is betting big on nostalgia with Gremlins 3, aiming to reintroduce Gizmo and his chaotic counterparts to both new audiences and lifelong fans.

Nearly four decades later, one thing hasn’t changed: Don’t feed them after midnight.

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