Gremlins 3: Chris Columbus says the script for the third film is ready to go

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

While there is still no official word on whether or not GREMLINS 3 will actually happen, original writer Chris Columbus says that the script for the third film is written and they're just trying to figure out when to make it while also dealing with some rights issues.

Columbus has been trying to get GREMLINS 3 off the ground for years now and while promoting his new film THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES 2, the writer and director gave a status update on the project while also revealing that when a third film is made, they will be using practical puppets and very minimal CGI.

"I would love to do it. I wrote a script, so there is an existing script. We're working out some rights issues right now, so we're just trying to figure out when the best time to make that film would be. I would still do it the same way, I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI. Maybe having, you know we had one stop-motion scene in the first Gremlins, but I don't think I'd use much CGI in Gremlins 3."

Chris Columbus wrote the original GREMLINS, which was directed by Joe Dante. Columbus is given credit for creating the characters in GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH but screenwriting duties fell on Charles S. Haas on the sequel. The fact that Columbus is speaking about getting a third film made is promising and it seems like there is a desire to make it happen once the issues with the rights are resolved. Warner Bros. is currently producing a Gremlins animated series called Secrets of the Mogwai for HBO MAX which means there is a clear interest in the property as a whole. Original star Zach Galligan has repeatedly expressed interest in returning, even going as far to say that he believes the third film would connect in some way to the new animated series. 

The original GREMLINS followed a boy that inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet. Because these rules were broken, he unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town. The film was a massive hit back in 1984, grossing $153.3 million at the domestic box office. A sequel followed in 1990 which took on a more satirical approach than the first film. At the time of its release, GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH wasn't nearly as successful as its predecessor, grossing $41.4 million by the end of its run but it has gone on to become a bit of a cult classic.

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