Gremlins 3 has been one of the most in-demand sequels in recent film history, but will the project ever come to fruition? Beginning with the release of Gremlins in 1984, the iconic ’80s franchise follows a young boy named Billy Peltzer who is gifted a strange creature known as a Mogwai. Chaos ensues soon after when Billy fails to follow the strict rules for owning such a creature, and a roving band of Gremlins invades his quiet town around Christmas. Known for its striking mechanical effects and director Joe Dante’s dark humor, Gremlins quickly became an archetypal ’80s classic.
Amid a series of rip-offs like the Ghoulies and Critters franchises, a lone sequel to Gremlins was released in 1990, subtitled The New Batch. While the sequel has since become a cult classic and revered for its critique of vapid ’80s culture and the rise of technology, it failed to move the needle critically or financially and put an end to the burgeoning franchise. In the more than three decades since then, fans have been clamoring for more Gremlins, and with the rise of ’80s legacy sequels, it’s never been a better time for Gremlins 3 to take shape.