MD Bastek
HBO Max held the world premiere of the first episode of its latest series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, on June 16, at France’s Annecy Animation Festival. Stephen Spielberg’s Amblin and Warner Bros. Animation teamed up to produce the animated 10-part prequel.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai’s first season tells the story of how Gizmo came to live in the shop in Chinatown, as depicted in the 1984 film. In Season 1, Gizmo meets 10-year-old Sam Wing, the future show owner. Sam, along with a street thief named Elle, wants to reunite Gizmo with his family.
Gremlins director Joe Dante attended the event. Dante sat for a Q&A session alongside the show’s executive producers, Tze Chun and Brendan Hay.
Variety reports that Dante expressed surprise at the franchise’s popularity after almost 40 years. He gave Speilberg credit for making Gizmo a more benevolent character than the original film intended.
“In the original script of ‘Gremlins,’ the Gizmo character turned into a bad Gremlin after about half an hour. We planned to make the movie a little bit darker,” Dante said.
“But Steven Spielberg decided in his wisdom that Gizmo should stick around and be the hero’s pal. If we had made the movie the other way, nobody would remember it. The addition of Gizmo made the difference. In his own way, he’s the star of the movie.”
Hay said that it took four to five years to make the series. Chun said that Amblin and Warner Bros. Animation were excited to explore Mogwai mythology. They even added a fourth rule for the proper care of Mogwai.
The creative team including producers, writers, director, and artists, did extensive research on Chinese culture and mythology. The show will introduce the audience to spirits and monsters from Chinese mythology, including fox spirits and inhabitants of a Spirit Market, which is based on ancient watercolors of underworld ghosts.
Variety reported that judging by Episode 1, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, promises to be a family-friendly series that adult fans of the original film will enjoy. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is described as “a coming-of-age tale in epic adventure, exploring themes of family and friendship.”
No specific release date has been announced.
