Original ‘Gremlins’ Writer Has Written ‘Gremlins 3’ Script Which Toys With Killing [SPOILER]

If you’re going to own a Mogwai, there are three simple rules to follow: don’t let them eat after midnight, don’t expose them to direct sunlight, and don’t get them wet. Even though these rules might seemingly be easy to follow, that hasn’t stopped characters from mistakenly breaking these rules in both Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, unleashing nefarious goblins upon a small town and a business complex.

Released in 1984, Gremlins gave audiences the adorable “Gizmo,” a furry little creature that really wanted nothing more than to hum a few melodies and hang out with his friend Billy (Zach Galligan). After water accidentally spills on Gizmo, the creature multiplied, creating more furry “friends,” who tricked Billy into breaking the rule about eating after midnight. Once they transformed into horrifying Gremlins, they destroyed massive amounts of property and injured many citizens in the small town, until exposure to enough light neutralized the threat.

In Gremlins 2, a similar story unfolded with Gizmo once again inadvertently being the cause of chaos and carnage, despite his jolly demeanor.

While promoting a film he produced, /Film spoke with original writer Chris Columbus about having written Gremlins 3 while also addressing that, were Gizmo taken out of the picture completely, it would prevent Gremlins from ever terrorizing anyone.

“Too many people are dying.”

When asked directly about the inadvertent harm caused by Gizmo, Columbus points out, “Very good observation.” He added, “That comes up in the movie, certainly.”

In the case of Gremlins 2, Gizmo did play an integral role in the Gremlins’ destruction as well as their creation, so he shouldn’t completely be painted in a negative light. Although the Gremlins franchise isn’t often looked to for its symbolism about humanity, ultimately the humans are the ones at fault for all of the mayhem, as all of the carnage would be avoided if they could adhere to the rules.

“I think it probably is a good idea to be honest with you,” Columbus said about eliminating Gizmo for good. “Too many people are dying.”

This isn’t necessarily to say that Gizmo needs to be killed, but were he to separate from the rest of humanity, it would certainly stop the spread of Gremlins.

“It is as twisted and dark as anything…”

While this might seem like a dark path for the franchise to go down, the original film was so violent that, after causing an uproar over its PG rating, helped spark the discussions that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating for films not suitable for children but devoid of graphic violence, sex, or profanity.

“I’m really proud of the script,” Columbus said. “It is as twisted and dark as anything, so we’ll see. It’s always a budgetary conversation when we’re going to shoot it. I wanted to go back to the really twisted sensibility of the first movie. I found that was a very easy place for me to fall back into and start writing again so hopefully we’ll see that movie soon.”

“Without a doubt, minimal CGI…”

Another recently revived franchise from the ’80s that began with a beloved blend of humor and horror and resulted in a disappointing sequel was Ghostbusters. Last year’s Paul Feig-directed reboot brought together some of the best comedic actresses in Hollywood, which you’d think was a sure-fire success, but the heavy special effects and CGI made for a costly product that couldn’t recoup its funds.

Columbus was happy to squash any thoughts of a new Gremlins embracing a similar style with advanced CGI and would rely on traditional special effects methods.

“Oh, without a doubt, minimal CGI,” Columbus confirmed. “CGI will enable us to remove wires and make the puppeteers lives a little easier. It was brutal. It was like a marathon every night for those guys. In the bar scene alone there were 18 [or] 20 people behind the bar. No one had any space to move. It was just hellish for those guys so CGI will simplify that a little bit but it’s all puppets.”

The third Gremlins film is currently in production, but there’s quite a ways to go before the film begins to come to life.