The Mogwai are back. Warner Bros. released the first teaser for Gremlins 3 today. It’s short. It also comes with a catch: the movie is moving back almost a full year.
Gremlins 3 now opens in theaters on October 6, 2028. It was set for November 19, 2027.
Watch the Gremlins 3 Teaser
The clip runs about 11 seconds. We get a look at a Mogwai, then a title card: “10.6.28. Only In Theaters.” That’s the whole thing. It’s a date announcement more than a trailer.
Why the New Date Makes Sense
The delay was part of a wider Warner Bros. calendar shuffle. DC Studios’ Dynamic Duo also moved, from June 20 to September 22, 2028.
For Gremlins, the new slot is arguably better. Early October puts a horror-comedy right in Halloween season. The old date also sat just days before Disney’s Frozen 3, which opens November 24, 2027. That’s a tough family-audience weekend to share.
Who’s Making It
- Director: Chris Columbus, who wrote the 1984 original. He’s also producing.
- Executive producer: Steven Spielberg, back in the same role he had on the first two films.
- Script: Hannah Marks is writing the current draft. It builds on an earlier draft by Columbus and Final Destination Bloodlines directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein.
- Companies: Warner Bros., Amblin Entertainment and Columbus’s 26th Street Pictures.
Puppets, Not Pixels
This is the part effects fans care about most. Columbus has said since 2020 that the creatures will be practical. That means traditional puppets and animatronics, not CGI.
He has not wavered. “I would do it as tangible puppets, not CGI,” he said.
That keeps the series in line with its roots. Chris Walas built the creatures for the 1984 original. Rick Baker’s team took over for Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990. Both films got their charm from rubber, cables and puppeteers working just out of frame.
Expect some digital help anyway. Rod removal and cleanup are standard now, even on puppet-heavy shoots. But the performances should come from real hands.
What’s the Story?
Plot details are under wraps. Columbus has described the script as dark and twisted. He has also floated a big question for the film: if every gremlin comes from Gizmo getting wet or being fed after midnight, should Gizmo be eliminated?
It’s a proper third chapter, not a reboot. Nearly 40 years will have passed since Gremlins 2 when it opens.
Cast
No casting has been announced. Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates both made it through the first two films, and fans want Billy and Kate back. Nothing is confirmed yet.
Gremlins 3 at a Glance
- Release date: October 6, 2028 (theaters only)
- Previous date: November 19, 2027
- Director: Chris Columbus
- Executive producer: Steven Spielberg
- Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures / Amblin Entertainment
- Creature effects: Practical puppets and animatronics
We’ll update this post as more footage and casting news arrive.
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