Gremlins is back with a new batch of episodes that promises to take Max‘s animated series in unique directions.
The show’s second season, titled Gremlins: The Wild Batch, debuts on the streamer Oct. 3. After the first season focused on how the young Sam Wing (voiced by Dìdi star Izaac Wang) met Gizmo, the new season is set in the American West as the pair join Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh) in making their first trip from Shanghai to San Francisco.
Executive producer Brendan Hay tells The Hollywood Reporter that the show’s team followed the lead of how filmmaker Joe Dante evolved the story from 1984’s original Gremlins movie to the 1990 sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Both films were directed by Dante, who serves as consulting producer on the series.
“We were inspired by what Joe did with the movies [and to] go in such a different direction,” Hay says. “We open up what’s possible and just different ways to have fun with Mogwai and the entire world. We try to run with that, and we get pretty terrifying and completely silly at the same time.”
Among the additions to season two is Simu Liu as the voice of Chang, a charming bootlegger from a powerful family who can been seen above in the first-look clip that is exclusive to THR. The show’s writers and crew were impressed by Liu’s role on the comedy series Kim’s Convenience, which marked the actor’s breakout project prior to landing the lead in Marvel’s 2021 hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Ultimately, social media was pivotal in helping Liu to land his Gremlins part.
“In the writers room, we wanted to create a character that was different than Asian American male characters that are usually portrayed in this time period,” explains executive producer Tze Chun. “We wanted to create somebody who was the coolest guy ever. We’re like, ‘Well, who should we cast for this?’ Simu’s name came up, and I slid into Simu’s DMs, and the rest is history.”
It’s not lost on Dante that having the season launch this year feels special, as the original Gremlins film debuted 40 years ago in the summer of 1984, when it was a blockbuster smash. The filmmaker credits the franchise’s longevity to Steven Spielberg, who was an executive producer for the original movie when he advised Dante that Gizmo should be cuddlier.
Gremlins: The Wild Batch
Courtesy of Max
“Gizmo was supposed to turn into the bad Gremlin after about 20 minutes,” recalls Dante, who praises Spielberg’s note. “The appeal of the relationship between Gizmo and everybody else is the secret of the enduring charm of this series. I really do give a lot of credit to Gizmo, who was a very painful character to work with because he was always breaking down. But he’s really been the linchpin for the movies and for the show.”
Dante acknowledges that he hears frequently from fans who would still want to see a third live-action Gremlins movie. But while Dante sounds open to having Gremlins 3 come to life, he sees this series as a perfect follow-up.
“That’s up to the audience,” he says about the chances of a third film. “The fact is that it’s too big a property for somebody not to make something. But it’s been difficult for people to wrap their heads around, ‘Exactly how are we going to do this?’ This series is a brilliant answer to that problem because it’s a prequel, and it’s animated, and it’s the perfect next step in the Gremlins saga.”
For the team, it’s been a dream to make the second season, with the voice cast including returnees Ming-Na Wen, James Hong and BD Wong and also new guest John Glover, who played Daniel Clamp in the 1990 sequel film. Everyone involved would love to work on a third season, and they’re hoping that the franchise’s supporters can help make it happen.
Regarding the show not yet having been renewed for a third season, Hay says, “Fans can change that.” He adds, “We are ready to go seasons three through 20 if needed. We have lots of more stories we would love to tell.”
