Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed production on Gremlins 3 during its third-quarter earnings call on Nov. 6, 2025, setting a theatrical release for Nov. 19, 2027. The announcement brings back original screenwriter Chris Columbus to direct and produce, with Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer, marking the first live-action entry since Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990.
David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, highlighted the project amid reports of $4 billion in 2025 box office revenue, crediting the studio’s slate for driving growth. “We’re excited to bring Gremlins back to theaters with Chris and Steven,” Zaslav said, according to the earnings transcript. The film aims to recapture the original’s blend of holiday comedy and creature chaos, though plot details and casting remain under wraps.
Columbus, who penned the 1984 screenplay at age 26, steps behind the camera for the first time in the series. Both prior films were directed by Joe Dante, with the sequel scripted by Charles S. Haas. Development on a third installment surfaced as early as 2013, when Warner Bros. optioned Seth Grahame-Smith’s script blending the first two plots. Rumors persisted through 2015 Universal talks and a 2017 reboot pitch by Zach Shields and David Guercio, but the project stalled amid franchise fatigue. Columbus reaffirmed interest in 2020, insisting on practical puppet effects over CGI to honor the originals’ tangible terror.
The Gremlins saga began with the PG-13 rated 1984 release, which grossed $153.1 million worldwide on a $11 million budget and introduced rules like no water after midnight for the Mogwai Gizmo. Its sequel, set in New York City, earned $41.5 million but drew mixed reviews for escalating absurdity. The films’ enduring appeal lies in subversive Christmas tropes, influencing holiday horror staples like Krampus and Violent Night.
In the interim, the franchise expanded via Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, a 10-episode animated series on Max launched in 2022. Set in 1920s Shanghai, it explores Gizmo’s origins with the Wing family, voiced by Ming-Na Wen and BD Wong, earning an 89 percent Rotten Tomatoes score for fresh mythology. A second season, delayed by strikes, is slated for 2026, bridging prequel lore to the live-action timeline.
Production begins early 2026 under Amblin Entertainment, with writers Carl Ellsworth, Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein attached from Final Destination: Bloodlines. Warner Bros. positions the film amid a revival wave, following Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s $448 million haul. Economically, the studio’s studios segment hit $3.3 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 74 percent from theatrical hits.
The 1984 original, produced by Spielberg’s Amblin, faced backlash for intensity, prompting the PG-13 creation alongside Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Gremlins 2 parodied sequels with self-aware gags, featuring cameos from Hulk Hogan and Dick Miller. Video games like MultiVersus integrated Gizmo as a fighter, boosting nostalgia ahead of this reboot.
This sequel arrives 43 years after the original, testing if millennial parents introduce kids to the rules amid modern sensitivities. Warner Bros. eyes family audiences, balancing scares with laughs in a post-pandemic market favoring ensembles.
