Warner Bros. has delayed Gremlins 3 from Nov. 19, 2027 to Oct. 6, 2028, pushing the long-gestating sequel back by nearly a year.
David Zaslav, the CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery, first revealed the project during an investor call in 2025. Steven Spielberg is returning as executive producer alongside Maiden Voyage’s Eleanor Columbus, while “Harry Potter” filmmaker Chris Columbus is set to produce and direct. Hannah Marks is writing the script from an original draft by Chris Columbus, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein.
A Beloved Franchise Returns
The new film marks the latest chapter in a franchise that helped define holiday-season horror-comedy. Joe Dante’s original 1984 Gremlins followed a young boy named Billy who receives a cute, furry creature called a Mogwai, learning its two strict rules: never get the Mogwai wet, and never feed it after midnight. When those rules are broken, the creature multiplies and unleashes chaos on his small town during the holiday season. The film is widely credited with helping create the PG-13 rating.
The first Gremlins was a box office smash, grossing $212 million worldwide against a budget of about $11 million. The 1990 follow-up, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, earned about $41 million by the end of its run but has since become a cult classic, which is part of why the long-delayed third installment carries so much anticipation.
“Few titles are as beloved and iconic as ‘Gremlins,’ and we’re beyond excited to bring it back for both lifelong fans and a whole new generation.” — Jesse Ehrman, Warner Bros. Pictures
The Team Behind the Sequel
Beyond the new release date, Warner Bros. has not disclosed the official title, plot details, or casting. Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario are producing under Amblin Entertainment alongside Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe of 26th Street Pictures. The project brings together a deep bench of franchise talent: Chris Columbus wrote the original 1984 script, and Spielberg executive produced both prior films through Amblin.
Executives have expressed confidence in the project’s staying power. “It’s a privilege to be working alongside Steven, Chris, and the entire creative team, and we look forward to audiences experiencing the next installment of the magic, mayhem and heart of Gremlins on the big screen,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ president of development and production Jesse Ehrman said when the film was first announced.
Why It Matters
The delay is a reminder of Hollywood’s careful repositioning during a period of studio belt-tightening and production reshuffling. Gremlins remains a defining IP of the 1980s — a self-contained, beloved franchise with built-in nostalgia for millennial and Gen X audiences now old enough to bring their own kids. For Warner Bros., a strong Gremlins 3 would be a rare sure-thing success in a slate heavy with uncertainty, which is precisely why the studio is taking time to get it right rather than rushing a lucrative title to market. As the release calendar gets increasingly crowded, delivering the movie on Oct. 6, 2028 could position it for a strong holiday-adjacent run.
