The Gremlins are officially back — and this time, they’re bringing the original creators with them.
After more than three decades, Warner Bros. is reviving the beloved horror-comedy franchise, with Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer and Chris Columbus, the writer of the 1984 original, stepping back in to write and direct the new film.
Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav confirmed the news during the company’s Q3 earnings call, announcing that the new Gremlins movie is officially greenlit and slated for release on November 19, 2027.
The Dream Team Returns
Spielberg will produce through his company Amblin Entertainment, while Columbus — best known for Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and Mrs. Doubtfire — is reuniting with the mischievous creatures that started it all.
Joining him on the project are Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, the directing duo behind this summer’s hit Final Destination: Bloodlines. The pair will collaborate with Columbus on the screenplay, blending nostalgia with modern horror-comedy flair.
A Franchise with a Legacy
The original Gremlins (1984), directed by Joe Dante, became a genre-defining classic — a mix of chaos, charm, and Christmas carnage that terrified and delighted audiences. Made for just $11 million, it went on to gross $151 million domestically and introduced the world to the adorable Mogwai, Gizmo, and the nightmarish green monsters that followed when his caretaking rules were broken.
Its sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), took a wilder, satirical approach. Though it underperformed at the box office with $41 million, it has since earned cult status — even winning praise from Quentin Tarantino, who once called it “a MAD Magazine take-off that gets better every time you see it.”
Testing the Waters
Warner Bros. and Amblin previously gauged fan interest with the animated prequel series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which premiered on Max in 2023. The show has aired two successful seasons, proving that audiences still have an appetite for the mischievous creatures.
Back to the Beginning
Inspired by a 1920s RAF myth about mischievous mechanical sprites, the concept of gremlins has deep pop-culture roots. Roald Dahl even wrote a 1943 children’s book titled The Gremlins, originally developed for a Disney film that never came to fruition.
Now, with Spielberg and Columbus reuniting, Gremlins is set to evolve once more — promising a return to its spooky, darkly funny origins while introducing the chaos to a new generation.
The Team Behind the Mischief
Alongside Spielberg and Columbus, producers Kristie Macosko Krieger, Holly Bario, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe will also oversee the project.
