The 1980s is one of the most popular time periods for filmmakers to return to, looking for classics to reboot or reimagine. The industry has already produced continuations of Terminator, Ghostbusters, and Blade Runner, and many other options from that golden age deserve to be brought back. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Gremlins got the same treatment. There is now a Gremlins series on the way, and this could trigger future developments in the franchise.
Gremlins Was a Hugely Influential Film
When Joe Dante’s Gremlins was released in 1984, it was a pop culture sensation. Not only was the film a totally original premise, but it also lent itself perfectly to a merchandise campaign that ran alongside the picture. Fans were able to buy toys and collectibles, which assisted in promoting the movie further. These items also helped the picture to live longer in people’s memories, meaning that the sequels and related games were well received.
The first offering, written by Chris Columbus, led to a follow-up in 1990, Gremlins: The New Batch. On top of that, several games were made that helped boost the franchise. One of the earliest offerings was Gremlins for the Atari 2600 in 1984. More recently, when players play slots online, they will see that there is a Gremlins slot game on the market created by Red7. Online communities like Buzz Bingo embrace films like this was it gives players something to look forward to with fun adaptions of existing franchises. Between these two offerings, there were numerous others including Gremlins: Unleashed! for the Game Boy Color in 2001. These games, along with the various merchandise, show that the Gremlins franchise has been somewhat ever-present in popular culture over the decades.
Warner Bros. Bought The Rights in 2019
With there being a trend in the film industry to pick up iconic movies and rerelease them for modern audiences, Warner Bros. shrewdly bought the rights to the Gremlins franchise in 2019. The studio had grand plans in mind for the little monsters, figuring that they would attract a lot of viewers if they appeared in a television series.
Warner Bros. Television decided to start by releasing Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai for HBO Max. This is an animated series, which is set to drop on the streaming service later in 2021. It will have ten episodes and will be set in 1920s Shanghai. This means that it serves as a prequel to the silver screen offerings, and means that there is a vast amount of scope to take the series in many different directions.
Warner Bros. and HBO Max are so confident that the new offering will be a hit, that it has already been renewed for a second season ahead of the series premiere.
New Series May Spark Other Silver Screen Offerings
It is exciting to think that this new animated series could refresh people’s interest in Gremlins and bring the franchise back with a bang. If it is a success, it will not only rekindle the interest of older viewers through nostalgia, but it will also make a new generation aware of the themes.
Many people will be hoping that this leads to more films in the future. Indeed, Zach Galligan, the actor who played Billy Peltzer in the original films, has stated that Gremlins 3 is “inevitable if the HBO Max series succeeds.”
With Gremlins still being known in popular culture after all these years and now set for a new series, a reboot of the movies could be a major success. It would be great to see a film series taking a brand new direction with these iconic characters.
