There has been talk of rebooting Joe Dante’s classic ‘80s movie, Gremlins, for years now, and while it looks like the long-rumored live-action remake won’t be happening anytime soon, fans of the beloved horror movie, and its off-the-wall 1990 sequel, will finally get to return to the franchise after more than 30 years. That’s right, we’re getting Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, an animated prequel series set decades before the events of the iconic non-Christmas movie.
Below is a rundown of everything we know about the Max (the soon to be former HBO Max) series, including its release date, trailer, cast, story, and so much more. Here’s what to expect from Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.
What Is The Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai Premiere Date?
There isn’t much time to wait until you can watch Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, as the animated series is set to premiere Tuesday, May 23, the same day HBO Max becomes known simply as the Max streaming service. It's not long now until you’ll be able to see how it all started for one of the most thrilling monster movies ever.
The Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai Trailer
In April 2023, a little more than a month before the show’s premiere, Warner Bros. Discovery gave the world its first look at Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai in the form of a two-minute teaser. The short trailer hits on what appears to be the major aspects of the upcoming series, including life in 1920s China, the Wing family, who find themselves at the center of the story, and the adorable Gizmo. But that isn’t all…
Just like in the original horror-comedy, the trailer also shows what happens when the Mogwai come in contact with water, which as memory serves us, never leads to a good time for anyone besides the Mogwai themselves.
The Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai Cast Includes Izaac Wang, Ming-Na Wen, James Hong And B.D. Wong
Though we won’t see the return of Howie Mandel as Gizmo (the character will now be voiced by A.J. Locascio, per his Twitter) in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, the upcoming animated series has put together a remarkable group of actors to voice its various characters, who should sound awfully familiar to audiences of all ages.
Back in May 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that the cast will consist of Izaac Wang as Sam Wing, a younger version of the shop owner from Gremlins; Ming-Na Wen as his mother, Fong Wing; James Hong as his grandfather; and B.D. Wong as Hon Wing, the young boy’s calm father. The studio has since revealed that Matthew Rhys, Gabrielle Neveah Green, Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, and Bowen Yang will also appear throughout the first season.
On top of all of that, Zach Galligan will appear in a guest role, but most likely not as Billy Peltzer, as the new cartoon takes place decades before the events of Gremlins. Still no word on if any of the other surviving members of the Gremlins cast will return in a similar capacity.
The Series Follows A Young Sam Wing As He First Meets Gizmo Decades Before The Gremlins Movie
When Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premieres in May, it will take the franchise back to 1920s Shanghai, where it will follow a much younger version of Gremlins shop owner Sam Wing as he first comes in contact with Gizmo. Having learned of the magical powers and danger of the Mogwai, which haven’t been seen in centuries, the young boy agrees to go on an epic journey through the Chinese countryside and take Gizmo back to where he belongs.
This won’t be an easy task, however, as all kinds of dangers await the young boy on his path, including a greedy villain who has been piecing together an army of evil Gremlins to do his bidding.
Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai Will Consist Of 10 Episodes
Back in July 2019, when it was revealed that a Gremlins TV series was in the works, an assortment of details were revealed by Variety, including the story, setting, and those who were involved with the project, as well as some information about the show’s episode count. When the cartoon debuts on Max in May, it will consist of 10 half-hour episodes, which should be more than enough to properly tell its story.
However, at this point, we don’t know if all the episodes will drop at once, or if the series will see new episodes premiere weekly until the completion of the first season. Other HBO Max original shows in the past have featured mutli-episode premieres that are then followed by weekly drops. We’ll have to wait and see if this is true for the new Gremlins show.
The Series Was Written By Tze Chun, Who Also Serves As Showrunner
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai was written by Tze Chun, who will also serve as showrunner and one of the main executive producers on the project. Throughout his career, Chun has worked on TV projects like Gotham, Once Upon a Time, and the Apple TV+ original series Little America, in addition to movies like Cold Comes the Night, Children of Invention, and multiple short films.
When Warner Bros. Discovery announced Chun’s involvement, it was also revealed that Steven Spielberg will also be serving as an executive producer with his Amblin Television production company. Spielberg served in a similar capacity on the first two Gremlins movies.
Joe Dante Served As A Consultant On Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai
Steven Spielberg isn’t the only person tied to Gremlins to have a hand in the new animated series, as Joe Dante, who directed the first two movies, served as a consultant and producer on the upcoming series. When speaking with Daily Dead in February 2020, Dante said that the show was “going to be good” and that he was “very pleased with the way” it was going.
Later in the chat, Dante said that Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai would be very big, in the sense that it would be way too expensive to make it any other way than as an animated series.
Since there isn’t much time until Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premieres on May 23, now would be the perfect time to go back and watch the first two movies streaming with your HBO Max subscription. And, don’t forget to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see when other new and returning shows will be joining the new Max streaming series.
Stream Gremlins on HBO Max.
Stream Gremlins 2: The New Batch on HBO Max.
