Gizmo is officially back, but we’re going to have to wait a little longer to see what kind of trouble follows him this time.
Warner Bros. has released the first teaser for the long-awaited Gremlins 3, offering our first glimpse of Gizmo in the upcoming sequel while revealing a new theatrical release date of October 6, 2028. The film had previously been scheduled to arrive on November 19, 2027, pushing its return to theaters back by nearly a year.
The teaser itself is barely more than a tease. Running around 11 seconds, it opens on a backpack before a familiar furry face emerges from inside. Gizmo looks around, delivers a quick “uh-oh,” and the unmistakable sound of cackling Gremlins can be heard before the new date appears.
That’s it. No plot, no human characters and no look at the Gremlins themselves. After more than three decades, though, Warner Bros. apparently knows that all it really needs to show right now is Gizmo.
The third film has been a long time coming. Gremlins screenwriter Chris Columbus is returning to the franchise to direct the new movie, taking over behind the camera from Joe Dante, who directed both the 1984 original and 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Columbus is also producing the film, while Steven Spielberg returns as an executive producer through Amblin Entertainment.
The screenplay has gone through several hands on its way to production. Hannah Marks is currently writing the script from an earlier draft by Columbus and Final Destination Bloodlines filmmakers Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. Plot and casting details remain under wraps, so we still don’t know whether any of the original human cast will be joining Gizmo for his return.
Columbus has previously made it clear that he wants the creatures themselves to remain tangible. While discussing his plans for another Gremlins movie, he said he wanted to use practical puppets rather than replace Gizmo and the Gremlins with CGI, an important distinction for a series whose creature effects remain such a huge part of its appeal.
Whenever it finally arrives, Gremlins 3 will end one of horror’s longest waits for a sequel. Gremlins 2: The New Batch opened in 1990, meaning 38 years will have passed between the second and third movies by the time Gizmo returns to theaters.
The new date also represents an interesting seasonal shift for the franchise. The original Gremlins is inseparable from Christmas, and the sequel’s previous November 2027 date would have put the new movie right at the beginning of the holiday season. An October 6 release instead drops Gizmo and company squarely into Halloween territory.
Warner Bros. hasn’t revealed why the movie was pushed back, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about Gremlins 3. But after years of talking about bringing the franchise back, we finally have an actual glimpse of Gizmo from the new movie.
